MASTER 
NEGATIVE 
NO.  92-80468 


MICROFILMED  1992 
COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARIES/NEW  YORK 


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AUTHOR: 


[WHEELER,  SAMUEL] 


TITLE: 


THE  TRIANGLE;  SECOND 
SERIES  OF  NUMBERS 


PLACE: 


NEW  YORK 

DA  TE : 

1821 


COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARIES 
PRESERVATION  DEPARTMENT 


Master  Negative  # 


DIDLIOGRAPIIIC  MICROFORM  TARCFT 


Original  Material  as  Filmed  -  Existing  Bibliographic  Record 


938.12 

V/56  [Yiliceler,    Ga^nucl  3 

The  tri«-inr.lc;  second  series  of  numbers  by 

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DATE     FILMED: ^/Si^fJi^ INITIALS___7?»f 

FILMED  BY:    RESEARCH  PUBLICATIONS,  INC  VVOODBRIDGE.  CT 


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It 


THE 


TRIANGLE. 


SECOND  SERIES  OF  NUMBERS. 


BY 


INVESTIGATOR. 


NEW- YORK : 


miNTED   AND   PUBLISHED   FOR   THE    AUTHOR. 


William  Grattaut  PrirUir. 


1821. 


i 


v> 


i 


TO 


THE  PEOPLE   OF  NEW- YORK. 


^ 


-■<:<. 


./ 


V 


I  HAD  almost  concluded  to  issue  this  Triiuigle, 
which  the  reader  will  perceive  is  the  true  and  real 
Triangle,  without  any  rtrfcfrc55,  advertisement,  adlec- 
torem,  or  prejace ;  but  I  feared  it  would  resemble  a 
door  without  a  threshold,  or  a  building  without  a 
court-yard  or  portico.  It  is  not  worth  while  for  a 
writer  to  say  much  about  his  motives  in  his  preface. 
It  would  be  like  a  man  who  was  conducting  you 
into  a  Museum,  who  should  stop  you  at  the  door  to 
tell  you  what  was  to  be  seen  :  it  would  be  quicker 
work  to  let  you  in.  And  Johnson's  saying,  that  a 
book  will  fix  its  own  age  and  country,  is  generally 
true. 

This  book  is  not  a  "  Habeas  corpus  ad  responden- 
dum,'^'' but  rather  a  Habebunt  corpora  ad  vivendum, 
I  fear  the  lawyers  will  not  comprehend  this  phrase, 
but  the  divines  will,  ^'  and  that  ivill  do,''''  as  the  great 
Wellington  said  when  he  laid  his  hands  on  the  pom- 
mel of  his  saddle.  The  Hopkinsians  are  a  very 
clevc  r  set  of  men  ;  all  they  want  is  to  live,  and  "  let 
live,"     They  are  disinterestedly  benevolent.     They 


IV 


wish  people  to  know  the  truth,  merely  for  the  truth's 
sake.     They,  to  be  sure,  do  not  wish  all  their  necks 
to  be  made  into  one,    and  that  put  at  the  option  of 
Nero.     A  Dey  of  Algiers  once  put  the  Spanish  Am- 
bassador into  a  great  mortar,  and  shot  him  away  at 
the   Spanish  fleet.     Now,  no  man  likes  to  be  sent 
out  of  a  city  in  this  style.     I  use  these  little  meta- 
phors to  convey  my  ideas  :   nobody  believes  that  we 
have  a  Nero  or  the  Dey  of  Algiers  to  contend  with  ; 
but  we  perceive  they  aim  at  thorough  work,  and  that 
in  a  summary  way  ;  we  must,  therefore,  do  a  little— 
hence  the  Triangle. 


^ 

k 


THE   TRIANGLE. 


SECOND  SERIES. 


No.  I. 

I  FEEL  a  concious  pleasure  in  addressing  the  people  of  this 
noble  and  flourishing  city — the  first  in  the  New  WoHd,  and  the 
fairest  on  the  globe;  And  let  it  not  be  understood  that  I  con- 
sider myself  as  environed  with  crosseyed  selfishness;  as  im- 
mured in  a  region  of  gloomy  prejudice  ;  as  condemned  to  wear 
the  gaUing  chains  forged  by  iron-hearted  intolerance,  and  rivet- 
ed by  the  hand  of  sturdy  ignorance.  Of  these  imperious  and 
unsightly  demons  I  feel  no  fear ;  yet  I  revere  and  admire  the 
varied  talents  I  see  conspicuous  in  every  profession  and  call- 
ing, in  every  art  and  science,  both  Uberal  and  mechanical — 

"  Where  Liberty  dwells  there  is  my  country." 

There  is  not  wanting  liberality  of  sentiment,  magnanimity  of] 
character ;  nor  is  this  city  wanting  in  its  portion — nor  is  it  a  scant- 
ed and  measured  portion  of  intellect,  adorned  wiih  the  beauty 
of  virtue,  enlightened  with  the  glory  of  benevolence,  and  fairly 
loosened  from  the  gordian  knot  of  interest  and  seltish  conside- 
ration. And  I  rejoice  to  say,  that  many  whose  theory  allows 
them  but  a  cable's  length  of  range,  are,  nevertheless,  in  heart 
and  practice,  floating  at  large  on  the  main  ocean  of  real  benevo- 
lence. 


f 


6 


Else  why  do  I  see  these  asylums  for  the  sons  and  daughters 
of  affliction — these  grand  and  extensive  hospitals,   alms-houses, 
and  receptacles  for  every  class  of  the  wretched  from  the  keen 
and  blighting  storm  of  misfortune,    whose  extended   and  lofty 
walls  might  vie  wiili   the   palace  of  a  monarch  ?  whose  nume- 
rous apartments,  and  ample  provisions,  seem  to  promise  repose 
and  comfort  to  all  that  need?    Else  why  do  I  see  long  ranks  of 
poor  children,  of  helpless  orphans,   enfilading  the  streets,   to  be 
instructed  on   the  sabbath  ;  and  that  by  gentlemen,    and  even 
ladies,    of   rank  and   fortune,    whose  only   remuneration  is  the 
pleasing  consciousness  of  benefiting  such   as,  by   their   tender 
and  helpless  years,  can  have  no  knowledge  of  the  extent  of  the 
benefit  intended  ? 

There  is  a  nobleness  of  soul,  a  grandeur  of  sentiment,   a  dis- 
interestedness of  heart,   which  soars  as  far  above  all  considera- 
tion of  self  as  the  heavens  are  above  the  earth.     An  hour's  en- 
joyment of  that  sublime  pleasure  is  worth  more  than  a  Roman 
triumph — more  than  all  the  years  through  which  ambition  toils 
and  climbs,  even  though  it  gain  the  summit.      There  is  such  a 
thing  as  doing  good  for  the  sake  of  the  pleasure  it  brings  ;  und  he 
who  knows   not    what  that   means  is  a  stranger   to  pleasure. 
Let  me  here,  for  the  sake  of  those  who  have  never  read  it,  re- 
peat the  story  of  Carazan  ;  and  which,  though  F  cannot  reach  the 
style  of  its  author,   and  may  give  it  but  imperfectly,  (having  no 
book  before  me,)  may  furnish  a  useful  lesson  to  some  who  may 
read  it. 

Carazan  was  the  richest  merchant  in  Bagdat,  with  no  chil- 
dren or  dependants  ;  his  expenses  had  been  small,  and,  with  a 
prosperous  run  of  business  in  the  silk  and  diamond  trade  of  In- 
dia for  many  y<*ars,  he  had  amassed  immense  treasures.  He 
met  with  no  losses,  his  caravans  were  expeditious,  traded  with 
success,  and  returned  in  safety.  One  enterprise  made  way  for 
another;  every  successive  project  was  formed  on  a  greater 
seal**,  and  all  were  terminated  with  success.  Business  was 
swayed  by  his  influence ;  merchants  depended  on  his  will ;  no- 
bles and  princes  envied  his  magnificence,  and  even  the  caliph 
feared  his  power. 


•    i^ 


r 


But  Carazan  lived  only  for  himself.  His  maxim  was  never 
to  move  but  with  a  prospect  of  advantage.  He  never  gave  to 
the  poor;  he  never  listened  to  the  cries  of  distress  ;  calls  on  his 
beneficence  were  repelled  with  a  frown,  and  the  poor  had  long 
learned  to  shun  his  dwelling. 

But  the  city  was  suddenly  surprised  with  a  great  change  in 
his  conduct.  He  removed  to  a  principal  square,  in  the  centre 
of  the  city,  and  made  proclamation  to  all  the  poor  to  resort  to 
his  palace.  They  flocked  together  by  hundreds,  and  by  thou- 
sands ;  and  what  was  their  surprise  to  find  his  halls  set  out  with 
tables  loaded  with  provisions;  and  such  things  as  were  most 
needed  were  dis[)ersed  in  his  porches  and  court-yards,  and  in 
the  adjoining  streets.  People  of  all  ranks  were  astonished,  but 
could  form  no  estimate  of  the  motive  of  all  this  liberality  and 
profusion. 

On  the  second  day  Carazan  made  his  appearance,  and  mount- 
ing a  scaflbld,  raised  for  the  purpose,  he  beckoned  with  his 
hand,  and  the  murmur  of  applause  and  admiration  suddenly 
ceased. 

"  People  of  Bagdat,"  said  he,  "  I  have  hitherto  lived  to  my- 
self, henceforth  I  intend  to  live  for  the  good  of  others.  Listen 
attentively  to  the  cause  of  the  change  you  see.  As  I  was  sit- 
ting in  my  counting  room,  and  meditating  on  future  schemes 
of  accumulating  more  wealth,  I  fell  asleep  ;  immediately  I  saw 
the  angel  of  death  approaching  me  like  a  whirlwind,  and,  ere  I 
had  time  for  recollection,  he  struck  me  with  his  dart.  My 
soul  instantly  forsook  my  body,  and  I  found  myself  at  the  bar 
of  the  Almighty.  A  dreadful  voice  from  the  judgment  seat 
addressed  me  thus  ;  *  You  have  Hved  entirely  for  yourself;  you 
have  done  no  good  to  others,  and,  for  your  punishment,  God 
ordains  that  you  be  eternally  banished  from  all  society.'  By 
a  resistless  power  I  felt  myself  driven  from  the  throne,  and 
carried,  with  inconceivable  swiftness,  through  the  heavens. 
Suns  and  systems  passed  me,  and  in  a  moment  I  was  on  the 
borders  of  creation.  The  shadows  of  boundless  vacuity  be- 
gan to  frown  and  deepen  before  a  dreadful  region  of  eternal 
silence,  solitude,  and  darkness.  In  another  moment  the  faint- 
est ray  of  creation  expired,  and  I  was  lost  for  ever. 


4         « 


8 


'*  !  stretched  out  my  hands  towards  the  regions  of  existence, 
and  implored  the  Lord  of  creation  to  change  my  punishment 
if  it  were  but  to  the  torments  of  the  damned,  that  I  might  es- 
cape that  frightful  solitude  ;  but  my  horror  was  too  dreadful  for 
a  moment's  endurance,  and  I  awoke.  I  adore  the  goodness  of 
the  great  Father  who  has  thus  taught  me  the  value  of  society, 
while  he  allows  me  time  to  taste  the  pleasures  of  doing  good." 

I  am  not  about  to  improve  this  story  by  recommending  it  to 
my  reader  to  dream  for  the  sake  of  reformation.  Indeed,  I 
would  hope  there  are  no  Carazans  in  the  city ;  and  yet  I  can- 
not but  fear  there  are  some  to  whom  so  pungent  a  dream 
would  be  very  useful.  Dreams  will  come  when  they  will,  and 
1  am  not  certain  I  shall  not  have  a  proxysm  of  dreaming  be- 
fore I  get  through  these  numbers.  But  there  is  a  mode  of 
gaining  information  at  the  option  of  every  person,  and  that  I 
am  about  to  recommend — I  mean  reading.  Every  person,  it 
is  well  known,  has  not  leisure  for  general  reading,  but  every 
person  can  read  enough  to  answer  the  purpose  of  the  present 
recommmendation.  The  unhappy  prejudice  subsisting  in  this 
city  against  New-England  sentiments  would  infallibly  yield, 
and  be  completely  dissipated  by  a  proper  acquaintance  with 
the  books  in  which  those  sentiments  are  contained.  These 
prejudices  have  not  been  planted  so  deep,  and  cherished  with 
such  vigour,  by  the  perusal  of  books,  but  by  deriving  an  ac- 
count of  their  books  and  tenets  through  a  medium  which  has 
given  them  a  stain  foreign  to  their  nature.  It  has  been  done 
by  perversion. 

True,  indeed,  a  mind  already  prepossessed,  and  strongly 
opionated  in  error,  may  not  be  convinced  by  reading  a  book 
wherein  the  truth  is  stated.  But  even  this  will  not  hold  good 
as  a  general  rule,  and  in  application  to  great  bodies  of  people. 
The  public  mind,  depraved  as  men  are,  will,  generally,  soon 
gel  right  where  the  proper  means  of  information  are   afforded. 

I  earnestly  recommend  to  the  people  of  the  city  to  direct 
their  attention  to  some  of  the  books  I  shall  hereafter  name. 
They  may  rest  assured  that,  even  provided  they  should  begin 
to  read  them  with  prejudice  and  disgust,  they  will  end  with 
pleasure  and  conviction 3  will  rise  up  from  the  perusal  acknow- 


ir 


\ 


9 


ledging  themselves  instructed  and  cured  of  their  antipathy. 
They  may  be  assured  that  those  persons  whom  they  hear  dai- 
ly condemning  those  writings,  have  never  read  them.  They 
are  imposed  upon  in  this  business,  and  their  credulity  is  shame- 
fully abused.  They  are  exactly  like  the  man  I  have  heard  of 
within  a  day  or  two,  who  was  strongly  condemning  the  Trian- 
gle, and  a  person  present  asked  him  if  he  had  read  it;  he  said 
no,  but  had  his  account  from  IMr.  Honeygall :  well,  but  had 
Mr.  Honeygall  read  it  ?  Why  no,  he  had  not  read  it  because  he 
would  not  read  so  huge  a  thing;  it  would  be  wicked  to  read 
it.     (Aside.)     He  never  reads  any  thing. 

So,  reader,  it  is  just  as  wicked  for  these  sage  censors  of 
books  to  read  the  New-England  books ;  and  my  word  for  it. 
they  have  not  that  sin  to  answer  for.  I  ask  the  great  and 
learned  Dr.  Buckram,  (not  that  there  is  any  such  man  in  reality, 
I  only  use  that  name  in  a  kind  of  allegorical  or  metaphysical 
sense;)  I  ask  him  whether  he  has  ever  read  "  Edwards  on  the 
Will  ?"     Hah  !  he  must  think  of  it. 

I  must  here  let  the  good  people  into  a  secret  of  us  book- 
men which,  perhaps,  they  don't  know.  It  is  the  practice  of 
some  great  readers,  when  ihey  have  read  the  title  of  a  book  and 
its  contents,  and  cut  into  a  paragraph,  here  and  there,  to  sav 
they  have  read  it ;  nor  do  they  tliink  it  lyinff.  Some,  I  believe, 
venture  so  far  as  to  say  they  have  read  a  book,  when  they  have 
only  read  the  letters  on  the  backside;  but  that  is  goinf^^  too 
far  ;    I  never  do  that. 

A  powerful  appeal  lies  from  this  subject  to  the  patriotic  feel- 
ings of  every   American.     Were  any  of  us  in  France  or  Eng- 
land  and   should   hear  them  commending  the   writers   of  our 
own  country,  we  should  feel  a  secret  gratification  arising  from 
our  national  attachment;    we  should  feel  it  an  honour  done  to 
ourselves  ;  and  so  it  would  be.     W^e  feel  a  pleasure  in   hearing 
the  greatness  of  Washington,  the  talents  of  Franklin   and    Rit- 
tenhouse,  extolled.     Every  American  is  gratified  at  hearing  the 
eloquent  Chatham  declare,  in  the  British  parliament,  the  Ame- 
rican Congress  to  be  one  of  the  noblest  bodies  of  men  ever  as- 


II 


/  1 


10 

seinbled.'  We  are  not  backward  to  assert  the  equality,  if  not 
the  ascendency,  of  our  naval  and  military  character.  Me  boast 
of  our  inventions  in  the  arts— of  our  success  in  manufactures. 

And   with   such    varied  excellence  of  talent,  would  it  not  be 
f'xtraordinary  if,  in  the  theological  department,  something  im- 
portant and  respectable  had   not  been  achieved  ?     The  fame  of 
exhibiting  to  the  world  the  first  perfect  experiment  of  religious 
freedom  and  toleration  cannot   be  denied  us ;   and  Europe  her- 
self has  enrt>I!ed  and  immortalized  the  name  of  our  first  theo- 
logical writer.     Is  tlie  thought   incredible  that  such  a   man  as 
Edwards  should  kindle  the  genius  and  rouse    the   talents  of  his 
countrymen  ?  He  did  it ;   and  has  been  foUowtd  by  a  constella- 
tion of  divines  and  writers  on  theology,  to  whom,  if  the  imma- 
turity of  our  seminaries  denied   the  most  perfect  classical   ex- 
cellence, nature  had  not   denied  intellectual  powers  of  the  first 
order,  and  posterity  will  not  deny  the  honour  of  the  first  grade 
of  usefulness  and  importance  in  their  profession. 

The  perusal  of  their  WMitings,  by  the  people  of  this  city,  will 
be  attended  with  several  good  effects  which  I  shall  particu- 
larly distinguish. 

1.  It  will  diminish,  if  not  exterminate,  their  prejudices,  against 
New  Dicinitif.  For  they  will  be  surprised  to  find  their  great 
and  leading  doctrines,  such  as  a  general  atonement,  &c.,  to  be 
the  same  as  taught  by  the  ablest  and  most  orthodox  divines 
since  the  reformation.  The  notion  of  moral  inability  was  ne- 
ver a  fabrication  of  the  New-f'.ngland  divines;  they  will  find  in 
the  clearest  and  best  writers  of  England,  the  same  idea. 

2.  They  will  find  themselves  instructed  and  pleased.  Books 
and  Essays  written,  and  Sermons  delivered,  in  places  where 
the  work  of  God  is  carried  on,  cannot  but  derive  an  unction,  a 
life  and  spirit,  from  the  occasions  that  gave  them  birth.  As  the 
face  of  Moses  shone  when  he  descended  from  Sinai's  glorious 
vision,  so  men  greatly  employed  and  honoured  in  the  work  of 
God,  will  transfuse  through  their  writings  the  spirit  of  that 
work. 

*  At  the  commencement  of  the  revoluiion. 


■| 


11 

It  is  a  mournful  tact,  and  will  one  day  be  as  deeply  deplored 
by  those  who  have  done  it,  as  by  those  against  whom  it  has 
been  done,  that  the  standard  of  opposition  against  those  men 
and  their  writings  should  be  lifted  in  New-York :  that  this  high- 
ly-favoured city  should  be  made  the  opposing  bulwark — the 
breast-work  of  opposition.  I  rejoice  to  think  that  such  walls  as 
men  build  are  not  high,  nor  their  foundations  deep.  I  have  no 
fear  for  the  ultimate  success  of  truth  ;  but  I  fear  for  those  who 
are  opposing  its  progress — especially  for  those  who  are  held 
in  darkness  by  the  craft  and  ambition  of  others.  The  chariot 
of  salvation  will  not  be  impeded ;  it  is  guided  by  one  who  can 
save  and  can  destroy. 

It  shall  be  the  object  of  this  Number  to  state  to  the  good 
people  of  this  city,  and  of  the  country  and  nation,  wherever 
these  presents  shall  come,  what  documents,  and  honks,  and  wri- 
tings— in  short,  what  resources  may  be  resorted  to,  in  order  to 
discover  what  those  sentiments  i^re  which  are  falsely  called  new 
divinity,  and,  very  unappropriately,  Hopkinsianism,  To  this  1 
now  solicit  the  reader's  attention. 

Jonathan  Edwards,  I  have  elsewhere  said,  was  the  great  mas- 
ter spirit  of  his  day.     Perhaps  no  man  ever  evinced  more  ca- 
paciousness of  understanding  and  strength  of  intellect  than  he. 
This  is  the  opinion  of  very  competent  judges,  and  probably  will 
not  be  denied.     His  writings   are  numerous,  among  which  his 
Inquiry  concerning  the  Will  was  his  greatest  production,  and 
may  be  considered  as  forming  the   basis  of  the  distinguishing 
tenets  of  New-England  divinity,  as   far  as  it  contains  any  dis- 
tinctive   features.     Of  this    I  have  spoken  in  the  former  series. 
After  this,  his  work  on  Religious  Affections  may  perhaps  be 
next  in  point  of  importance.     Had  this  been  the  only  book   he 
published,  it  would  have  rendered  his  name  immortal.     On  this 
ground,  explored  by  thousands  of  writers,  he  was  often  original, 
generally  interesting,  and  always  unanswerable.    His  History  of 
Redemption,  a  work  left  immature,  was  sufficient  to  show  the 
force  and  splendour  of  his  talents.     Various   other   important 
works  were  also  publislied  by  him,  which  brevity  forbids  me  to 
enumerate;    but  his  numerous  sermons,  as  many  of  them  were 
delivered  in  periods  of  religious  revival,,  and  were  more  blessed 


12 

as  instrumental  to  that  great  work,  it"  wc  except  Whitelield's, 
tlian  any  ever  delivered  in  this  counlry,  are  without  ail  parallel 
among  American  sermons;  and  lor  depth  of  thought,  force  of 
argument,  and  brilliance  of  imagination ;  for  a  ma|Vslic  display  of 
truth,  solemnity  of  address,  and  power  to  arrest  the  conscience, 
they  have  never  been  surpassed.  He  had  the  n.re  talcnl  of  unit- 
ing metaphysical  discussion  with  practical  and  experimental 
truth ;  of  uppealing  with  equal  force  and  propriety  to  the  un- 
derstanding and  to  the  passions. 

The  style  of  Edwards  is  plain  and  simple,  and  evinces  to  the 
judicious  reader  the  progress  of  a  gigantic  mind  moving  through 
fi.lds  of  truth,  careless  of  the  artificial  a<ljustment  and  fastidious 
polish  of  diclion.  That  inelegan.  ies  may  be  discovered  in  his 
style,  1  certainly  will  not  deny.  But  when  those  who  dare  ac- 
cuse him  of  «  verbiage"  can  show  equal  vigour  of  intellect 
let  them  boast.  When  those  who  dare  censure  his  preaching 
as  unprofitable  can  show  equi-.l  trophies  of  success,  let  them 
triumph. 

Far  be  it  from  me  to  say  that  Edwards  was  correct  in  all  his 
sentiments,  a  felicity  which  rarely  falls  to  the  lot  of  a  volumi- 
i»M»  writer.  Even  Calvin  was  not  correct  in  every  thing 
-\e,ther  do  I  pretend  or  wish  to  say  that  he  agreed  in  eve.y  point 
with  those  who  since  his  day  are  denominated  Hopkinsians. 
Bull  vvilL-ay  to  every  reader,  if  he  will  read  Edwards  on  the  Will 
-on  Religious  Aflections-on  Redemption-on  God's  Last 
Er,d  in  the  Creation  of  the  World-on  Moral  \  irtue_on  Revi- 
vals  o,  Rehglon-and  various  points  discussed  in  his  sermons,  he 
will  have  before  him  some  b^>o!cs  and  some  dacumaUs  whereby 
toj.idge  of  flopkinsian  tenets. 

Samuel  Hopkins,  whose  dreaded  and  execrated  name  is  so 
often  pronounced  with  strange  horror  by  thousands  of  people 
who  never  read  a  pa^e  of  his  writings,  so  often  held  up  to  cen- 
sure and  obloquy  by  an  eq.al  number  of  men  who  boast  of 
having  read  his  works,  but  are  equally  ignorant  of  what  they 
comain-Samuel  Hopkins  wrote  and  published  a  iJody  of  Divi- 
n..y.  I  shall  here  say  little  of  this  work  ;  it  is  sold  in  several 
bookstores,  and  is  in  many  libraries  of  this  city.  I  may  safely 
say,  however,  that  it  is  one  of  the  noblest  bodies  of  divinity  in 


i 


18 


ihe  Knglish  language ;  and  I  will  venture  to  predict  that  it  will 
stand  as  high  on  the  shelves  of  future  libraries,  and  be  regarded 
as  a  work  of  as  much  utility  and  merit,  as  Pictete,  Ridgely,  and 
Turetin,  when  the  ignorant  and  maniacal  rage  against  Hopkin- 
sianism  shall  have  subsided;  and  especially  when  it  shall  have 
the  good  fortune  to  be  judged  by  those  who  have  read  it. 

With  regard  to  the  leading  sentiments  of  no})kins,  they  do 
not  differ  materially  from  the  most  approved  and  orthodox  di- 
vines, and  the  most  eminent  and  standard  writers  since  the  re- 
formation. Hopkins  surely  did  not  agree  with  them  in  every 
point,  nor  did  any  two  important  writers,  that  ever  wrote,  agree 
in  all  points,  Luther,  Calvin,  Melancthon,  Eeza,  Zuinglius. 
Bucer,  Carolstadt,all  differed  from  each  other;  nor  less  did  Bax- 
ter, Flavel,  Owen,  Watts,  Podriddge,  &c.  difler.  With  reverence 
be  it  spoken,  even  Mason,  Ely,  Roraeyn,  and  Milldoler,  do  not 
agree  in  all  points. 

Besides  a  body  of  divinity,  Hopkins  wrote  various  tracts  and 
sermons,  in  all  of  which  the  grand  and  fundamental  truths  of 
religion  are  judiciously  and  ably  handled.     As  a  faithful  minis- 
ter of  Christ,  a  public  teacher,  and  an  elementary  writer  on  the- 
ological and   moral  subjects,  the  Ameiican  church  has   had  few 
more  useful  or  more  distinguished  men.     His  style  is  plain,  un- 
ornamented,  and  simple;   with  less  strength  and  originality   of 
conception  than  Edwards,  his  style  verged  nearer  towards  neat- 
ness and  precision.     In  reading  his  pages,  you  do  not  perceive 
inanity  of  mind,  carefully  concealed  by  an  elaborate  texture  of 
smooth  and  spider's-web  phrases;  nor  an  eternal  and  dead  level 
of  common  places  solemnly  trimmed    with   insipid  pomp,  and 
the  soporific  monotony  of  easy   periods,   rounded  as  regularly 
as  a  thousand  rolls  of  gingerbread.     He  wrote  like  a  man  of 
sense,  who  dared  to  think  for  himself;  like  a  man  of  thought,  who 
was  master  of  his  subject;  like  a  man  of  piety,   who   regarded 
the  truth  ;   and  if  sometimes  he  justifies  the  suspicion  of  affect- 
ing to  trace  new  paths,  to  launch  into  new  speculations,  show 
me  the  writer  of  eminence  who  is  not  more  or  less  susceptible 
of  that  kind  of  ambition,  or  whose  powers  of  mind   rendered 
similar  endeavours  more   successful,  and,  of  course,  more  war- 
rantable. 


14 


15 


|l 


An«r  Edwards,  and  Hopkins,  Bellamy  may  next  be  noticed 
as  a  wr  ,er  of  the  samo  order,  or   school,  if  you  please.     His 
pr.nc.pal   work   is  True   Religion   Delineated.      Though  ,hi. 
book  .s  doubtless  not  received  as  a  piece  of  divine  inspiration 
yet  .t  .s  considered  by  many  as  a  standard  work :  and  such  it 
ought  to  be.  an<l  will  be  considered,  where  true  religion  is    un- 
derstood,  and   where  the  reign  of  prejudice  is  no.  completely 
estabhs^.ecL     Atter  this,  his  Dialogues  „„  Theron  and  Aspasio. 
and  The  Glory  of  the  Gospel,  are  works  of  high  and  dislin^ 
gu.shed  merit. 

Besides  these,  Ballamy  published  various  tracts  and  sermon^ 
much  .n  the  same  strain  of  sentiment ;  and  though  certainly  not 
to  be  admired  as  models  of  style  and  composition,  they  are  on 
a  level  with  the  writings  of  the  most  pious  and  orthodox  di- 
v...es.  Few  ministers  of  the  gospel  were  more  able,  faithful 
or  successful,  in  the  day  in  which  he  lived,  or  since  his  time-  or 
more  honoured  by  Ch.ist  as  the  visible  instrument  of  turning 
many  to  righteousness.  " 

Dr    Jonathan  Edwards,  .he  son  of  the  President,  who  was 
h.mself  also  President  of  Union  College,  did  honour,  to  his  coun- 
try ;  and  it  >f  was  not  to  be  expected  that  one  nation  should 
produce  more  than  one  man  equal  to  his  father;  if  it  was  impos- 
s.ble  for  h.m  to  raise,  yet  he  sustained  the  name,  by  the  vigour 
and  acuteness  of  his  litera.y  productions.     What  he  seemed  to 
want  .n  greatness  and  extent  of  understanding  he  made  up  by 
sagacity   of  judgmen.  and  acu.eness  of  reasoning ;   and  I  shall 
scarcely  be  ron.radic.ed   when  I   say,  .ha.  in  penetration  and 
force  of  .ntellect  he  has  rarely  been  surpassed. 

His  publications  on  the  Atonement,  and  against  Dr.  Chaun- 
cy,  have  affoided  to  his  adversaries  the  most  unpleasant  speci- 
mens  and  proofs  of  his  reasoning  powers. 

Edwards,  Hopkins,  and  Bellamy,  have  long  since  retired  from 
the,r  stations  in  the  church  militant,  and,  I  trust,  are  now  reap- 
ing the  fruits  of  their  labours  in  the  mansions  of  joy  and  rest 
together  with  many  souls,  the  seals  of  their  ministry  on  earth.' 
And  .t  IS  matter  of  consolation,  to  reflect  that  the  idle  clamours 
and  reproaches  which  envy,  pride,  and  ambition,  are  incessant- 
ly venting  against  these  men  and  their  doctrine,  cannot  poUut* 


I 


Y 


ihe  air  nor  disturb  the  repose  of  those  peaceful  mansions.  And 
if  their  persecutors  and  opposers  would,  for  once,  institute  a  just 
comparison  between  the  tokens  of  divine  approbation  bestowed 
on  the  labours  of  these  men,  and  on  their  own,  it  would  give  a 
chill  to  their  ambition— would  rebuke  their  pride,  and  change 
the  voice  of  vituperation  into  confession  and  self  reproach. 

Besides  the  writings  of  these  men  already  enumerated,  there 
are  many  writers  of  the  same  class  now  living,  which  circum- 
stance ought,  perhaps,  rather  to  impose  silence. 

Their  theological  magazines,  religious  tracts,  and  periodical 
publications,  the  work  of  associations  of  ministers  of  that  de- 
scription, in  which  all  their  sentiments  are  abundantly  disclosed, 
are  immensely  numerous.  Sermons,  however,  form  the  princi- 
pal department  of  their  writings ;  and  although  it  cannot  be  de- 
nied that  they  have  publii^hed  sermons  which  in  point  of  execu- 
tion are  but  ordinary,  and  perhaps  sometimes  incorrect  in  senti- 
ment, yet  they  have  also  published  sermons,  which,  in  defiance 
of  the  overwhelming  charge  of"  verbiage,  tautology,  and  non- 
sense," will  assume  and  maintain  their  station  in  the  first  class 
of  that  order  of  composition. 

If  limmons  has  been  charged  with  some  peculiarities  of  sen- 
timent, it  should  be  remembered  that  those  peculiarities  are  not 
chargeable  on  him  as  a  Hopkinsian,  but  as  a  writer.    I  say  this 
for  the  man  of  sense  and  candour  who  may  read  these  pages. 
As  for  the  bigot,  blind  with  prejudice,  and  mad  with  intolerance, 
and  who,  like  the  countryman  in  Boston,  would  be  liable  to 
mistake  the  stuifed  skin  of  a  quadruped  for  the  charter  of  Mas- 
sachusetts,  I  leave  him  to  hug  his  prejudices.     Any   peculiar 
notions  entertained  by   Emmons,  are   no  more  chargeable  to 
Hopkinsianism,  than  the  peculiar  notions  and  reveries  of  Stub- 
ner,  or  Blandrata,  were  chargeable  to  the  doctrines  of  the  Re- 
formation.    Stubner  was  among  the  reformers,  and  so  is  Em- 
mons among  the  Hopkinsians. 

I  shall  not  pronounce  on  the  peculiar  opinions  of  Emmons. 
Whether  they  are  correct  or  not,  I  leave  to  the  decisions  ot 
that  day  which  shall  rectify  every  error,  and  bring  truth  to  light. 
But  they  are  surely  not  of  a  nature  which  ought  to  interfere 
with  christian   fellowship  and  communion.     But  Emmons,  re- 


16 

garded  as   a  sennoinzer,  is   surpassed   by  few  writers  ol  that 
Class,  eHher  I.v.ng  or  dead  ;  and  few  sern.ons,  considered  in  a 
respects,  are  superior  to  his.     His  subjects,  generally  .npo  t^m 

prate  text.     H.s  sermons  are  read   with  ease   and   pleasure- 
wnpleas,re,  because  his  object  is  perfectly  obvious,  he    . 

nith  ease,  because  short,  and  always  rapidly  progressing. 

''  Semper  fcsthiat  ad  evenium/' 

Emmons  is  an  original  of  the  noblest  class,  and  certainly  one 
of  the  most  deeded  character.     No   candid  reader,  who  reads 
for  .nstruct.on,  is  disappointed,  or  rises  from  the  pe^.sal  of  one 
of  his  sermons  w.thout  some   benefit.     IJis  sermons   generally 
md-cate  extensive  knowledge  and  acuteness  of  judgmJl.t.         ' 
tye.  neat   appropriate,  pure,  and  correct,  thoughtless  elegant 
and  sp  enu,d  than  that  of  Hall,  and  less  easy  and  graceful,  per- 
haps, than  that  of  Jay.     I„  fe.vency  and  pa'ho.,  we  m.v  have 
some  n.  our  own  country  who  excel  him;   and  his  sermons  are 
perhaps,  too   d.dactic^too  much  the  essay,  and  not  sumciemly 
the  popular  address   to  answer,  in  the  best  manner,  all  the  end 
ol  preachmg.    \\  ah  less  of  the  flowers  of  May,  or  fruits  of  Octo- 
ber,  than  some  others,   his  sermons  may   be  compared  to   the 
a;end,an  hour  of  a  clear  day  in  June,  when  the  sun  puts  for  h 
h  s  s,,ength,  the  summer  displays  her  maturity,  and  vegetation 
all  her  energy.     I  say  nothing  of  any  uncommon  turn  tcf  a  pas 
age  of  scnpture  he  may  give-of  any  new  distinction,  or  mo- 
dification    mpomt  of  speculation;   for  we  hve  in   a  day  when 
disputes   between  Monothelites  and  Monophi.ites,  Reali-sts  and 
.Nominalists,  no  longer  terminate  on  the  rack  or  gibbet-   when 
wars  between  Troglodytes  and  Brobdignagoreans  no  m^re  lay 
was^e  ca.es;   nor  are  the  differences  of  Bigendians  and  Littlen- 
dians  to  be  considered  as  heresies. 

The  reader  of  Emmons'  Sermons  is  like  one  passing  over 
an  extensive  and  well  cultivated  farm  ;  the  fences  are  substan- 
tml  and  erect;  the  fields  are  verdant,  square,  and  regular,  not 
Inan^ular;  the  meadows  are  separated  from  the  woodlands 


17 


and  the  pastures  from  the  tillage:  the  mansion  house  is  not 
lofty,  but  neat  and  spacious,  and  speaks  itself  the  seat  of  wealth 
but  not  of  dissipation — of  happiness,  but  not  of  ambition.  The 
prospects  are  diversified  with  hills  and  valleys,  and  enriched 
with  springs  and  rivulets. 

The  audiences  who  heard  Emmons  have  heard  more  truth, 
and  are  better  instructed,  waving  all  peculiar  and  discrimi- 
nating points,  than  those  who  heard  Davies,  or  VVeatherspoon ; 
and  trusting  that  time  will  cure  prejudices,  and  assured  that  sel- 
fishness will  soon  yield  the  ground  to  a  benevolence  purely  dis- 
interested, I  frankly  declare,  that  I  would  as  leave  be  thought 
the  writer  of  the  sermons  of  Emmons,  as  of  Watts  or  Baxter, 
Hall  or  Fuller,  Sherlock  or  Tillotson,  Saurin  or  Claude,  Bos- 
suet  or  Bourdaloue. 

After  the  critic  has  screwed  up  his  nose,  scowled,  hissed, 
snuffed,  tossed,  and  pronounced  a  few  such  phrases  as  "igno- 
rance ! — no  taste  ! — impudence  !"  and  the  like,  I  would  request 
him  to  read  a  sermon  of  Davies,  of  Saurin,  of  Baxter,  of 
Sherlock,  of  iMassilon,  and  of  Emmons  ;  and  then  ask  himself 
which  of  thera  conveys  the  most  important  truth,  with  fewest 
words,  most  simplicity  an<^  force,  least  aflfectation  and  labour, 
and  greatest  clearness.  I  must  caution  him,  however,  to  break 
fairly  through  the  blinding  halo  that  surrounds  great  names;  to 
be  on  his  guard  against  the  splendour  of  the  great  assemblies  of 
London  and  Paris,  where  nobles  and  monarchs  worship  ;  to  for- 
tify his  auditory  nerves  ae^ainst  the  titilation  of  pompous  phrases- 
and  majestic  circumlocution,  which  add  little  to  the  force,  beau- 
ty, or  impression  of  truth.  A  sermon  is  not  the  greater,  be- 
cause a  monarch  heard  it,  nor  the  better  because  he  admired  it. 

A  sermon  is,  or  ought  to  be,  a  portion  of  the  gospel  of  Christ 
adapted  to  the  attention  of  a  public  audience  :  its  style  and  man- 
ner may  be  compared  to  the  vessels  on  which  a  public  feast  is^ 
served  up.  Important  trulli  is  the  food  itself.  Now,  the  service 
of  dishes  may  be  of  gold,  silver,  porcelain,  or  common  earthen- 
ware, pewter,  or  even  wood.  Some  forty  years  ago,  when  the 
good  people  of  this  country  used  to  eat  on  wooden  trenchers, 
even  a  pewter  service  was  thought  quite  splendid  and  luxuri- 
ous.    Emmons  treats  his  audience  in   a  handsome  service  «f 

3 


M 


»1^ 


iB 

Silver;  and  ittliere  are  those  who  can  go  as  hii-h  as  gold,   en 
riched  with  diamonds,  I  am  glad.     Let  it  be  rtniembered,  how- 
ever,  that  very  indifferent  food  may  be  served  up  in  gold,    and 
many  a  deadly  draught  has  lurked  in  a  goldt  u  goblet. 

The  pious  and  venerable  West,  "  whose  praise  is  in  all  the 
churches''  where  he  is  known,  and  whose  full  value  cannot  be 
known,  but  by  personal  acquaintance,  now  more  than  eighty 
years  of  age,  is^still  discharging  the  duties  of  the  sacred  office. 
Three  times  has  his  congregation  heard  him  pass  through  the 
New  Testament,  expounding  verse  by  verse  the  sacred  oracles; 
illustrating  and  enforcing  them  with  a  propriety,  acuteness,  and 
vigour,  of  which  this  country  has  seen  no  parallel  :  nor  has  any 
minister  of  tho  present  day  a  happier  talent  in  that  most  useful 
branch  of  public  instruction,  or  is"  mightier  in  the  scriptures." 
Dr.  West's  publications  have  not  been  numerous  ;  but  what  tew 
things  he  published,  will  be  sufficient  to  perpetuate  his  name 
with  honosir.  His  treatises  on  moral  agency,  and  on  the  atone- 
ment, will  best  show  their  force  in  an  attempt  to  answer  them. 
With  that  inattention  to  the  ornaments  of  style  characteristic  of 
his  early  time,  he  evinced  great  vigour  of  tiionght,  and  jus»tness 
of  reasoning. 

Christ  has  honoured  tliis  worthy  man  in  an  extraordinary  man- 
ner :  for  the  space,  I  believe,  of  sixty  years,  in  which  he  has 
discharged,  without  a  stain,  the  work  of  the  ministry,  he  has 
from  time  to  time  seen  the  work  of  God  carried  on  amongst  his 
people;  and  very  many  souls  have  been  given  him  as  seals  of 
his  ministry,  who  will  be  stars  in  the  crown  of  his  rejoicing  in 
the  day  of  the  Lord. 

Though  I  would  willingly  dispense  with  mentioning  the  names 
of  persons  living,  from  delicacy  to  their  feelings,  yet  that  si- 
lence, any  further  than  is  imposed  by  brevity,  cannot  comport 
with  llie  design  of  this  enumeration,  which  is  to  show  how  re- 
mote from  candour  and  trutli  are  those  rtflfctions  and  sneers, 
which  deny  to  New-Kngland  the  name  of  writer  or  theologian. 
And  1  feel  it  my  duty  to  a^k  many  young  men  of  education  and 
talents,  but  recently  from  that  quarter,  who  have  established 
themselves  in  this  city  in  the  various  branches  of  business ;  I 


11 


i 


i 

I 


L 


19 

ask  them,   whether  it  gives  them  pleasure  to  hear  such  reflec- 

lions- 

« 

"  Tossed  in  the  jest  from  wind  to  wind  r" 

I  ask  them,  whether  they  have  become  so  triangular — so  sealed 
with  prejudice,  as  really  to  believe  there  are  no  writers  there? 

They  peradventure  may  have  heard  of  the  name  of  Dwight, 
the  maternal  grandson  of  the  great  Edwards  ;  perhaps  they  may 
have  been   educated  under  his  eye  and  instruction,    and,  if  so, 
they  have  heard  his  course  of  theological  lectures  :   shall  I  be- 
lieve,  that  since  they  have  come  within  the  radiance  of  superior 
luminaries,  that  they  are  trul)  converted  to  the  belief,  that  there 
is  nothing  in  Nctc-England—thdit  all  there  is  "  verbiage,    tau- 
tology,  and    nonsense" — "  no  books,  no  documents,   no   writ- 
tings  ?"     Some  of  them  I  know  to  be  sons  of  New-England  cler- 
gymen of  eminence  and  distinction.     But  here,  alas  !  they  have 
learned  the  humiliating  fact  that  their  fathers  knew  nothing, 
and  were  nothing;  or,   if  any  thing,   in  comparison  as  a  glow- 
worm to  a  star.     They  are,  perhaps,  almost  ready  to  wrangle 
with  their  fate,    and  wish  that  Bamfylde  Carew  had  been  their 

father. 

Take  courage,  young  men,  and  hold  up  your  heads  ;    though 
a  New-England  Clergyman  claim  you,  dare  to  own  your  parent- 
age, dare  to  think  yourselves   educated,   though  educated  by  a 
Dwight.     This  language  may  seem  enigmatical  to  persons  at  a 
distance  :  here  it  will  be  well  understood,   and  will,  I  trust,  pro- 
duce a  salutary  effect.     For  I  do  tirmly  believe  that  so  great  a 
perversion  of  truth,  so  unaccountable  a  concealment  of  fact, 
never  was  practised  or  achieved  under  circumstances  so  extra- 
ordinary,   in  any  other  place  on  the  globe.     And  whatever  the 
reader  may  think,   he  may  rest  assured  that  we  have  before  us 
the  true  ground  of  the  controversy  with  New-England.     I  there- 
fore said  in  the  former  series,  that  it  all  arose  from  ambition  and 
envy.     Our   adversaries  seem  not  to  be  aware  that  there  is  a 
great  distinction   between   commerce  and  theology ;  nor  yet  is 
New-England  altogether  ignorant  of  commerce.     . 

The  man  whose  name  has  been  meotioned  would  be  an  ho- 


f^ 


20 

nour  to  any  state  or  nation.  An  example  so  bright,  a  pattern  s« 
illustrious,  will  long  be  remembered  by  hundreds  who  have  felt 
its  powerfulinfluence ;  will  long  flourish  in  the  talents  he  has 
elicited  and  matured  ;  will  long  be  ci^Iobrated  by  the  genius 
he  has  fostered.  Dr.  Dwight,  for  gone ral  erudition  and  correct 
taste,  for  powerful  talents  and  uncorrupted  integrity,  is  surpass- 
ed by  no  man  in  our  country.  Though  he  may  have  less  starch 
in  his  composition  than  Dr.  Buckram  ;  though  he  may  be  less 
susceptible  to  the  courtier's  rvntle  touch  than  Dr.  Weathercock; 
for  he  is  not  a  man  f!iat  says  one  thing  and  does  another,  yet 
he  is,  "  take  him  for  all  in  all,"  as  great  as  theGreat  Gun  himself. 
The  sermons,  and  other  productions  of  his  pen,  are  brilHant 
specimens  of  a  great  and  vigorous  intellect,  and  not  unworthy 
of  a  descendant  of  f\dwards. 

Since  the  writings  of  New-England  are  accused  of  consist- 
ting  of  nothing  but  "  verbiage,  tautology,  and  nonsense,"  I  will 
mention  one  writer,  at  least,  whose  sermons,  if  the  reader  may 
give  himself  the  trouble  to  examine,  F  can  assure  him  he  will 
acquit  of  his  heavy  charge.  Smalley's  Sermons  are  able  and 
handsome  specimens  of  clear  and  conclusive  reasoning;  they 
abound  little  in  bold  assertions,  and  his  deductions  are  made  with 
caution  and  correctness.  Noihing  but  the  |)reji,dire  of  the  day 
withholds  from  those  sermons  the  high  repulalion  due  to  solid 
reasoning,  and  an  able  and  masterly  display  of  important  truth. 
Warburton  reasoned  with  more  erudition,  and  Sherlock  certain- 
ly wilh  many  more  adventitious  advantages,  but  I  request  the 
"Great  Gun"  himself  to  lay  a  sermon  of  Smalley  side  by  side 
with' one  of  Sherlock's,  or  of  Tillot^on^  or  of  his  own,  if  he 
pleases;  compare  them  by  paragraphs,  and  I  put  him  upon  his 
honour,  as  a  gentleman,  where  I  am  happy  to  say  I  do  not  scru- 
pie  him,  though  I  do  murh  as  a  metapiiy^ician,  to  say  which  of 
them  resembles  most  the  progress  of  Euclid  through  his  47th. 

There  is  scarcely  a  wrirer  who  carries  more  of  demonstration 
through  every  successive  period  ;  nor  would  there  be  a  better 
test  of  this,  than  would  result  from  an  attempt  to  show  where 
his  argument  fails. 

Doctor  S.  Spring's  «  M  .,al  Disquisitions,"  at  the  very  sound 
of  which  some  nervous  people,  I  suppose,  will  fall  into  the  moral- 


f 


i 


21 

phobia,  is  the  last   thing  T  shall   mention.     This  sniaii   book, 
if  read  with  attention  and  candour,  will  not  fail  to  carry  convic- 
tion to  the  mind  ;  it  dwells  on  those  grand  points  in  which  New- 
Enijland   divinity    is  made  the  subject  of  censure.    But  its  fate 
has  been  to  be  condemned  by  those  who  have  not  read  it. 

There  are  many  writings  and  publications,  the  productions  ot 
a  much  younger  class  of  men,   which,  while  ihey  exhibit   hand- 
some specimens  of  classical  excellence,  maintain  and  fully  illus- 
trate the  same   strain  of  sentiment  and   doctrine;    but  brevity 
forbids  their  enumeration.      New-England  in   a    space    of   two 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  square,  has,  in  fact,  produced  more  ser- 
mons, essays,  religious  tracts,  and  theological  publications,  and 
those   which  are  respectable   and  important  in  their  kind,  than 
all  the  rest  of  America.     Nor  is  there  a  peo{>le  on  earth,  whose 
religious  tenets  are  better  known,  or  more  ably  defended.     Yet, 
we  are  solemnly  assured  by  an  Anti  Mopkinsiau  >~ectarian.  that 
there  are  no  books,  documents,  &c.,  by  which   their   principles 
can  be  known. 

The  truth  is,  there  is  no  such  sect  of  people  on  earth  as 
Hopkinsians,  and  I  would  to  God  there  had  never  been  such 
an  appellation  known  among  Christians  as  Calvinists ;  especial- 
ly, without  they  had  adopted  the  name  of  a  more  lovely  and 
Christ-like  man.  This  rage  for  nick-naming  sects,  and  exalting 
the  opinions  and  authorities  of  men,  is  but  a  younger  shoot  of 
the  grand  apostacy. 

The  books  and  writings  I  have  mentioned  in  the  very  imper- 
fect sketch  above,  are  not  censured  or  exploded,  on  account 
of  their  faults,  regarded  as  literary  productions;  far  from  it : 
that  is  the  least  of  all  the  fears  of  their  adversa:ies.  On  the 
contrary,  the  known  conviction  they  carry  with  them,  the 
force  of  native  genius  they  evince,  and  the  spiiit  of  piety  they 
breathe,  is  what  renders  them  so  much  dreadtd,  and  is  the  real 
clue  to  the  motive  of  those  unwearied  endeavours  to  keep  them 
out  of  sight,  and  to  hiss  them  into  silence. 

Perhaps  I  ought  not  to  close  so  copious  an  account  of  writers, 
without  saying  something  about  the  Investigator.  It  was  a  rule 
with  the  Spectator,  that,  so  long  as  he  was  unknown,  he  might 
say  what  he  pleased  of  himself;  might  even  applaud  his  own 


I 


41 


22 

writings  at  pleas...  r  -,  and  i.e  oArn  did  it.     1  see  no  , eason  why 
I  have  not  the  same  ,ight;    and  perhaps  it  is  even  more  neces- 
sary  for  rae  to  do  it,  than  it  was  for  him :   however,  as  to  that  I 
shall  do  as  I  please.   In  the  mean  time,  I  shall  say  a  few  things. 
In  the  first  place,  they  may  say  n.any  unpleasant  things,  but 
they  cannot  say  I  am  not  a  writer.    As  a  proof  that  I  can  write, 
here  is  the  Triangle.    It  has  been  written,  and  it  will  be  read  ;  h 
will  spread  wide,  and  will  be  remembered.   In  the  second  place, 
this  thing  has   not  been  excited  merely  as  an  attack  on  error- 
it  is  oftered  to  the  public  as  a  detergent  to  an   intolerant,  bigot' 
ed,  and  pn-secuting  spirit  5  as  a  diluent  to  the  moral  buckram 
with  which  some  minds  are  most  dreadfully  encased ;   as  a  re- 
frigerent  to  the  calenture  of  ambition  ;  as  an  emulgent  to  a  self- 
ish heart;   as  a  sudorific  to  the  sedative  frigidity  of  hatred  ;   as 
a  tonic  to  the  atony  of  general  benevolence;  as  a  laxative  to' the 
gripe  of  spiritual  pride  :  in  fact,  as  a  universal  nostrum  against 
meddling  with  those  who  are  disposed  to  think  for  themselves. 
And.  frnm   concurrent  prognostics,  I  think   it  must  produce  a 
good  effect. 

In  the  last  place  the  Investigator  is  a  physiognomist ;  gives 
lectures  on  heads,  and  can  draw  portraits.  No  portrait  has  yet 
appeared,  though  1  perceive  some  rough  etchings  in  the  former 
series  have  been  readily  claimed.  One  thing  I  engage,  if  I 
hereafter  draw  a  portrait,  the  true  Bucephalus  will  instantly,  as 
of  old,  neigh  at  his  own  likeness. 

LNVESTIGATOR 


No.  II. 

1  SAID,  in  a  foimor  number,  that  attempts  had  been  made  to 
excite  an  odium  against  flopkinsianism.  To  many,  no  doubt, 
this  appears  an  unjust  accusation.  But,  however  it  may  appear 
it  is  true,  and  can  be  f.dly  vindicated.  They  say  that  Hopkin- 
sians  hold  that  a  Chrisiian  ou^ht  to  he  willing  to  be  damned. 
The  most  that  llopkinsians  contend  for  is,  thatjhere  mmj  be  a 


r 


k 


23 

turn  when  a  Christian  may  fed  in  his  heart  to  acquiesce  in  the 
justice  of  God,  even  though  God  should  cast  him  of  for   ever. 
Let  us  examine  this  point. 

The  clamours  on  this  subject  are  too  absurd  and  r.d.rulous 
to  be  heard  with  patience.  I  said,  perhaps,  enough  in  a  former 
number;  but  I  will  here  repeat,  that  the  HopUinsians  hold  no 
mo.'e,  relative  to  ihi^  matter,  than  must  be  admitted  by  all  who 
believe  in  divine  providence. 

Their  teachers  are  in  the  habit  of  insisting  much  on  the  doc- 
trine  of  submission  to  the  divine  will;   which,  I  hope,  will  not 
be  considered  as  an  error.     They  hold,  that  all  rational  crea- 
tures  ought  lo  feel  perfect  resignation  to  the  will  of  God.     But 
resignation  implies   holiness,   and  God  has   manifested  it  to  be 
his  will,  that  holv  creatures  should  be  happy.     A  holy  creature, 
therefore,  is  not  required  to  be  willing  to  be  damned,   beca.ise 
it  is  not  God's  will  that  he  should  be  damned.     They  dwell 
m..ch  on  this  point,  that  eve.7  real  Christian  entertains  a  strong 
sense  of  his  own  desert,  and  of  the  justice  of  God,  in  his  condem- 
nation,  as  a  sinner;  and  they  believe  that  a  Christian  may  be 
rightly  disposed  towards  God,  i.  e.  may  love  him  supremely  be- 
fore  he  has  anv  evidence  that  God  will  save  him.     In  this  case, 
therefore,  the  converted   sinner  sees,  and   f.aiy  acquiesces   111, 
the  justice  of  God  :   nay,   is  often  heard  to  say,  "  1  feel   that 
God  would  be  just  in  my  condemnation ;  I  feel  and  know  that 
I  deserve  his  wrath;  and  I  see  clearly  the  beauty  and  the  glory 
of  his  justice,  as  well  as  of  his  mercy." 

The  elements,  and  every  point  in  this  whole  business,  are  now 
befoie  the  reader,  and  may  be  reduced  to  a  set  of  definite  pro- 
positions, which,  for  the  sake  of  perspicuity,  I   will  here  ?et 

down. 

1.  Every  rational  creature  ought  to  feel  perfect  resignation 
to  the  will  of  God.     Will  anv  one  depv  this  ? 

2.  Perfect  resignation  to  God's  will  implies   holiness,  /.  r. 

love  to  God. 

3.  It  is  the  will  of  God  thnt  creatures  who  love  him  shall  not 

be  miserable.     This  will  not  be  denied. 

4.  Eve.y  good  man  has  a  strong  sense  of  the  justice  of  God 


f 


X" 


2J 


25 


m  h.s  condemnation  as  a  sinner,  for  ^.i.hou.  this  he  would 
have  no  idea  of  grace  in  his  salvation.  This  cannot  be  denied. 
The  pronnse  of  God  to  save  a  believer,  by  grace,  cannot 
dnnnnsh  that  beluver's  sense  of  his  o»n  desert.  Even  pardon 
clearly  .mphes  the  justice  of  punishment,  or  else  there  can  be 
no  grace  in  pardon. 

5.  The  Christian  may  feel  rightly  disposed  towards  God  and 
h.s  government,  that  is,  may  love  God,  before  he  has  an  evi- 
dence  that  God  will  save  him.  This  is  out  of  the  tnanffle,  and 
will  be  denied.  But  J  beg  the  reader,  as  he  values  the  truth, 
fo  attend  with  candour  to  this  point.  It  may  affect  h.s  own  re- 
hcon  attd  hopes  more  than  he  is  aware  of.  This  proposition 
.s  denied  because  it  militates  against  the  grand  fortress  and 
strong  hold  of  what  I  call  selfishness. 

I  justify  the  proposition  by  the  following  reasons  : 
1.   The  real  Christian  may  judge  incorrectly  of  his  own  ex- 
erc.ses  and   feelings.     They  may  be  of  the  right  kind,   without 
h.s  havmg  any  degree  of  confidence  in  them.     Thus  I  have  no 
do„b,  ,t  happens,   that  many  a  converted  soul  does  not  come  to 
a  due  estimate  of  his  exercises  towards  God,   for  hours,   nay, 
days  and  months  after  his  conversion.     He  has  the  feelings  of 
a  child,    but  no  confidence  in  those  feelings.     It  is  a  verv  rare 
thing  that  a  renewed  sinner  is  able  to  say,  «  This  is  failh-this 
IS  love-this  h  holiness-I  am   born   again,"   immediately,  the 
first  moment  after  his   regeneration.     When  I  see  a   Christian 
com.  forward  in  that  manner,    I  am  doubtful,    and  have  reason 
to  tear  he  is  deluded.     Nor  will   he  be  very  readv  to  give  in  to 
the  opinion  of  any  one  who  may  ofiiciously  tell  him^  he  is  a 
renewed  man  ;   and  such  persons  there  are  always  at  hand.     He 
Will  perhap,  say,    "  f  think  I  love  God-I  seem  to  perceive  the 
glory  and  fulness  of  Christ,  but  the  matter  is  too  important;   I 
fear  I  am  mistaken." 

2.  The  Christian's  confidence  of  salvation  is  not  the  cause, 
but  the  effect,  of  his  love  to  God.  There  is  not  a  more  fatal 
error  in  the  chur,  h,  and  to  the  souls  of  men,  than  the  supposi- 
tion, that  the  ..„:i,,r  begins  to  love  God  in  consequence  of  dis- 
covering that  God  is  going  to  sa.ve  him.  The  thing  itself  speaks 
and  shows  slictr  selfishness,    with  the  broade.t  grin.      I  am 


'■I 


t| 


I! 


7 


amazed  that  the  bare  suggestion  should  not  excite  alarm  and 
suspicion,  distrust  and  aversion.  What  says  our  Saviour?  "If 
ye  love  thera  that  love  you,  what  thank  have  ye?"  Do  not 
even  sinners  love  those  that  love  them  ?  Such  a  kind  of  love 
is  no  sign  of  grace.  1  hat  which  I  feel  towards  God,  when  I 
see  that  he  will  save  me,  is  gratitude.  Nothing  can  be  more 
certain  than  that  all  the  wicked  on  earth,  and  that  all  the  devils 
in  hell,  could  they  discover  that  God  was  going  to  make  them 
eternally  happy,  would  love  him  for  it,  would  feel  very  grateful, 
would  think  him  a  very  good  being.  Let  those  who  trust  in  such 
a  kind  of  love  to  God  be  assured,  that  their  foundation  is  sand. 

3.  The  nature  of  that  love,  which  is  due  to  God  fiom  all 
creatures,  shows,  with  the  brightness  of  a  sunbeam,  that  it  is  far 
above  gratitude,  or  any  return  or  reflection  of  kindness.  What 
is  the  ground  of  the  most  perfect  and  exalted  friendship  among 
men  ?  Is  it  a  mere  requital  of  kindness,  a  reflection  of  inte- 
rest ?  Does  it  rest  on  the  narrow  ground  of  reciprocal  benefits? 
Is  it  not  grounded  on  the  high  and  estimable  qualities  which 
two  persons  may  discover  in  each  other  ?  What,  if  General 
Washington  had  reprieved  a  criminal  from  death  or  paid  his 
ransom,  would  that  criminal  perceive  in  that  generous  act 
the  highest  and  utmo«^t  ground  of  respect  ?  Robespierre,  or 
Cateline,  might  have  done  him  the  same  kindness.  In  truth, 
all  that  God  has  done  for  one  sinner  bears  no  more  proportion  to 
the  grounds  of  regard  discoverable  in  his  nature  and  character, 
than  a  single  grain  of  sand  bears  to  the  universe.     Hence, 

4.  Love  to  God  is  not  the  effect  or  consequence  of  faith  ;  it 
is  coeval  with  it,  nay,  it  is  in,  and  belongs  to  the  nature  of 
faith.  Faith  without  love  is  good  for  nothing — is  dead — is  no 
belter  then  the  faith  of  devils.  As  there  can  be  no  holiness  in 
the  heart  previous  to  love,  and  as  nothing  can  be  acceptable  to 
God  without  holiness,  we  may  rest  assured  that  holiness  is  not 
only  a  concomitant,   but  a  constituent  of  faith. 

It  may  further  be  observed,  that  consequent  on  regeneration 
there  cat  J:ie  no  earlier  exercise  of  heart  than  love  to  God;  and, 
I  leave  it  to  the  acute  and  able  theologian  to  say,  whether  he 
can  perceive  any  thing  in  regeneration  itself,  but  a  change  of 
iieart  from  hatred  to  the  love  of  God.     But  by  love,  here,  I 


i 


26 


mean  not  only  the  effect,  but  the  cause ;  not  only  the  exercise, 
but  the  agency  by  which  it  is  produced,  that  is,  "  the  love  of 
God  shed  abroad  in  the  heart,  by  the  Holy  Ghost."  "  For  he 
that  dwelleth  in  love,  dwelleth  in  God,  and  God  in  him." 

I  have,  1  trust,  shown,  that  love  to  God  is  not  the  effect  of 
faith.  The  arguments  might  indeed  have  been  amplified,  but 
that  I  deem  unnecessary,  till  I  shall  see  stronger  reasons  brought 
against  them.  And,  if  the  love  of  God  be  considered  object- 
tively,  it  will  be  seen,  that  it  cannot  arise  from  a  conviction 
that  God  is  going  to  save  the  sinner.  This,  indeed,  has  been 
already  stated,  but  the  importance  given  to  this  point  by  the 
dispute  before  us,  renders  it  necessary  to  be  more  explicit. 

T.he  unregenerate  man  is  in  a  state  of  condemnation,  of 
course,  he  has  no  evidence  to  believe  that  God  will  save  him.  If 
regeneration  be  an  instanianeous  work,  which  those  admit  with 
whom  I  am  at  issue,  a  moment  of  time  does  not  intervene  be- 
tween the  last  sinful  exercise  of  the  unregenerate,  and  the  first 
holy  exercise  of  the  regenerate  man,  or  love  to  God  :  in  a  mo- 
ment he  finds  himself  loving  God,  and  feels  delight  in  the  ex- 
ercise. The  first  intellectual  apprehensions  of  the  ?iew  man 
are  allowed  to  be  various,  by  most  orthodox  divines,  old  as 
well  as  new:  and  this  must  be  allowed  from  the  nature  of  the 
case,  and  is  confirmed  by  constant  experience.  I  seldom  ever 
heard  two  Christians  relate  having  had  similar  apprehensions, 
either  in  the  first  moments,  or  first  hours  or  days,  of  their  Chris- 
tian experience.  Their  first  views  may  be  supposed  to  take 
their  complexion  very  much  from  their  state  of  knowledge,  and 
general  haf)ils  of  thinking.  But  though  these  cases  doubtless 
embrace  an  endless  variety,  yet  there  is  reason  t<»  believe,  that 
God  is  the  grand  object  of  the'r  apprehension  j  and  that  them- 
?elves  are  generally,  if  not  entirely,  out  of  the  question,  and  not 
thought  of. 

I  first  mention  the  case  of  those  persons  who  pretend  to  no 
re<;ollection  of  the  time  of  their  conversion  ;  and  many  such 
there  are  who  give  abundant  evid«-nce  of  piety.  1  liAgh  they 
did  not  know  it,  there  was  a  time  when  they  were  renewed  by 
the  llUy  Ghost :  no  thought  occurred  to  them,  however,  that 
they  wei*:  Jjorn  again,  or  were  going  to  be  saved  ;  so  far  from 


# 


i 


/i 


27 

it,  that  if  any  one  had  told  them  they  were  Christians,  they 
would  have  spurned  the  idea,  and  would  have  said,  ^'  you  flatter 
and  deceive  me."  What  may  we  suppose  were  their  exercises 
during  this  time  ?  Why,  at  times  they  had  clear  and  affecting 
views  of  the  loveliness  and  glory  of  God,  of  the  person  and 
character  of  Christ,  of  his  fulness  and  all-sufficiency  as  a  Sa- 
viour ;  but,  then,  they  dare  not  trust  to  these  views  and  feelings. 
I  next  mention  the  case  of  such  as  suppose  they  know  the 
time  of  their  conversion.  What  were  their  first  views  ?  «'  There 
was  a  God;— he  was  an  infinitely  lovely  and  excellent  being. 
The  world  was  his;— all  nature  was  beautiful  and  glorious  ;—■ 
all  creatures  seemed  to  praise  him.  The  Dible  was  a  new  book. 
There  was  a  Christ  willing  and  able  to  save  the  vilest  sinner. 
The  gospel  was  free ;  the  lault  was  all  in  the  sinner."  And  I 
declare  to  the  reader,  that  not  one  only,  nor  two,  nor  ten  per- 
sons have  I  heard  say,  that  their  view  of  Christ*s  sufficiency 
was  such,  that  they  thought  they  could  persuade  their  friends 
immediately  to  embrace  him. 

But  while  the  new-born  Christian  had  these  views,  what  of 
himself?  Did  it  occur  to  him,  at  the  very  first  instant,  that  God 
was  going  to  save  him,  and,  therefore,  that  he  loved  God  for  it? 
Was  it  his  very  first  apprehension  that  he  should  be  saved ; 
and  was  that  the  cause  of  his  joy  and  love  ?  The  idea  is  shock- 
ing, find  from  my  soul,  I  believe,  is  revolting  to  every  pious 
mind ;  nor  do  I  believe  there  is  a  Christian  on  earth  whose  re- 
collection of  his  own  experience  will  confirm  it.  I  readily 
grant,  the  Christian's  first  apprehension  may  be  of  the  Saviour; 
but  then  it  will  be  of  him  as  the  son  of  God.  "  If  thou  believest 
in  thine  heart  that  God  has  raised  up  Jesus  Christ  from  the 
dead,  thou  shalt  be  saved."  "But,"  said  Christ  to  Peter, 
"whom  do  ye  say  that  I  am  ?"  "  Thou  art  the  son  of  God; 
thou  art  the  king  of  Israel."  "  Blessed  art  thou,  Simon  Barjona  ; 
flesh  and  blood  hath  not  revealed  this  unto  thee,  but  my  Father 
which  is  in  heaven." 

Christ's  person,  character,  and  work,  together,  form  the  great 
object  of  faith  ;  the  assent  of  the  understanding,  and  cordial  con- 
sent of  the  heart  to  it,  form  the  exercise.  But  the  notion  of 
appropriating  faith,  so  called,  i,  e.  that  Christ  died  for  me,  and 


28 


29 


laying  this  as  the  crround  and  motive  of  my  love  to  Christ,  and 
prior  to  it,  and  these  points,  in  connexion  with  the  doctrine  of 
particular  atonement,  make  out  a  dead  faith  and  selfish  love  to 
the  Christian,  and  an  innocent  unbelief  to  the  sinner. 

To  perceive  beauty,  is  to  love.  Whatever  the  soul's  first  ap- 
prehension of  God  is,  it  is  attended  with  a  coeval  perception  of 
his  glorious  excellence  and  beauty.  I  wish  the  candid  and  in- 
genuous reader  to  observe  that  arts,  in  no  case,  are  the  proper 
object  of  love.  A  series  of  great  actions  indicate  a  great  be- 
ing; but  it  is  not  the  actions,  but  the  actor  we  love.  But  a  good 
action  done  to  me  indicates  no  more  goodness  than  as  though  it 
were  done  to  some  other  man.  I  ought,  in  fact,  to  love  God 
as  much  for  doing  good  to  my  neighbour  as  to  myself;  and 
this  I  certainly  shall  do,  if  I  *' love  my  neighbour  as  myself.'* 
If  this  be  not  correct,  let  its  error  be  made  out. 

This  brings  into  view  an  idea  of  what  is  usually  termed  disin- 
terested love,  airainst  which  a  more  unreasonable  clamour  has 
been  raised,  and  justified  by  more  ridiculous  shifts,  and  more 
groundless  and  shameless  arguments,  than  are  usually  seen 
marshalled  in  the  field  of  controversy.  Be  it  admitted,  though  it 
is  by  no  means  always  true,  that  the  new  born  souPs  first  appre- 
hension is  of  Christ — his  first  exercise  of  love  is  towards  Christ ; 
yet  there  is  no  otherwise  an  act  of  appropriation  than  what  is 
implied  in  the  perception,  *Mhat  the  Saviour  is  infinitely  glori- 
ous and  excellent,  willing,  and  all-sufl^cient  to  save  ;  the  chiefest 
among  ten  thousand,  and  altogether  lovely."  He  looks  up  to 
God,  and  beholds  him  a  God  of  love,  ruling  his  kingdom  with 
perfect  goodness  ;  that  all  creatures  are  safe  ;  that  all  interests 
committed  to  him  are  secure.  It  does  not,  at  this  time,  occur 
to  him  that  he  is  born  again,  or  shall  be  saved.  His  mind  is 
filled  with  objects  infinitely  more  glorious  and  majestic  than 
any  consideration  of  his  own  interest  or  salvation.  And,  al- 
though a  great  leader  of  the  Triangular  scheme  has  lately  cau- 
tioned his  hearers,  from  his  pulpit,  to  be  aware  of  that  *'  base 
and  absurd  philosophy,  which  ou^rht  not  to  be  dignified  by  the 
noHkt  of  philosophy,  which  teaches  nien  to  leave  their  own  hap- 


) 


piness  and  interest  out  of  the  question  f^*  yet  it  is  a  truth  which 
every  Christian  should  know  and  feel,  that  a  view  of  the  glory 
of  God  shining  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ,  breaking  forth  on 
the  mind  of  the  sinner,  and  especially  for  the  first  time,  will 
leave  him  a  little  room  to  think  of  his  own  dear  self,  or  of  his  in- 
terest or  salvation. 

Job  seemed  to  have  a  great  deal  of  ♦hat  base  and  absurd  phi- 
losophy, when  he  said,  "  I  have  heard  of  thee  by  the  hearing  of 
the  ear,  but  now  mine  eye  seeth  thee,  wherefore  I  abhor  my- 
self, and  repent  in  dust  and  ashes."  David,  also,  had  much  of 
that  philosophy,  when  he  exclaimed,  *'  when  I  consider  the 
heavens,  the  work  of  thy  fingers,  the  moon  and  stars,  which 
thou  hast  made,  Lord,  what  is  man,  that  thou  art  mindful  of 
him  ?"  &c. 

In  that  solemn  hour  a  sense  of  the  vileness  and  desert  of  sin 
falls  upon  the  renewed  soul  with  the  weight  of  mountains;  he 
is  amazed  at  the  mercy  that  has  preserved  him,  and  he  ex- 
claims, with  all  the  feelings  of  his  heart,  and  energies  of  his 
soul,  "  God  would  be  lovely  if  he  should  cast  me  ofi"  for  ever." 
How  little  is  he  inclined,  at  that  time,  or  any  other  time,  to 
seize  upon  some  divine  promise,  and  boldly  and  arrogantly 
threaten  to  keep  Christ  to  his  word.  I  use  this  phrase  because 
it  was  very  recently  used  by  another  Triangular,  who  boldly 
exhorted  his  Christian  hearers  lo  keep  Christ  to  his  icord,  i.  e. 
to  make  him  fulfil  his  promises. 

Alas  !  whither  does  this  strain  of  Antinomianism  tend  ?  What 
bavock  it  has  already  made,  and  what  ruin  it  threatens  !  But  is 
there  need  to  exhort  mankind  to  be  more  selfish  ?  is  there  ground 
to  fear  that  they  will  not  interpret  the  bible  sufiiciently  favoura- 
ble to  their  own  character  and  state  ?  Shall  they  be  exhorted,  if 
I  may  so  say,  to  toe  the  mark,  and  challenge  the  Saviour  to 
come  and  meet  them  upon  his  peril  ?  Let  that  great  master  in 
Israel  be  assured,  that  he  need  be  under  no  apprehensions  lest 
his  hearers  shall  not  be  sufficiently  alive  to  their  own  interest 
and  happiness.  They  will  do  that  in  obedience  to  man's  rulin^^ 
passion. 


'*  Dr.  MasoK. 


'^ 


30 

•I  have  dwrelt  long  on  tins  subject  5  have  gone  carefully  ov<?r 
that  ground  pointed  at  with  so  much  scorn,  and  regarded  with 
so  much  terror.     It  amounts  to  this;  that  a  man  under  the  in- 
fluence of  clear  views  of  God   and  his  government,  and  of  his 
own  exceeding  vileness,   all    which   he  may  have  without  any 
certain  evidence  of  his  own  good  estate,  may  fully  arquiesce  in 
the  justice  of  God— may  see  that  God  would  be  just  in  casting 
him  off,  and  may  feel  as  though  he  could  love  and  adore  God, 
if  he  in  fact,  should  do  it.     Some  writers,  called  Hopkinsian, 
may  have  dwelt  particularly   on   U,is  point,  biit  it  is  a  matter 
which  has    no    necessary   connexion  with    Hopkinsianism— ir 
found   in  old  writers   as   well   as  new.     Devils  who  are  now 
suffering  the  wrath  of  God,  are  under  the  same  obligation  to 
love  and  adore  him  as  the  angels  of  light  in  heaven.     If,  be- 
cause he  is  punishing  them,    they  have  a  liffht  to  hate  and 
Tumor  him,  then  they  certainly  do  right  in    making  war  on  his 
kingdom. 

The  reason  why  such  a  clamour  is  raised  against  this  idea  is, 
because  men  cannot  endure  the  thought  that  the  glory  and  ho- 
nour of  God  should  be  preferred  to  the  happiness  of  a  wicked 
roan. 

No  Hopkinsian  on  earth  ever  held,  or  pretended,  that  a  wil- 
lingness  to  be  damned    constitutes  a  habitual  exercise  of  the 
Christian ;   for  it  is  not  the  will  of  God   that  a  real  Christian 
should  be  damned;    it  would   be  revolting  against  God's  will, 
and    every  Christian  knows  it;    but    the  willingness   contended 
for,  is  restricted  to  tiiose  moments,  while,  as  yet,  the  regenerate 
man  has  no  certain  evidence  that  he  is  a  Christian,  or  that  God 
will  save  him,  yet  still  he  loves  God,  and  is,  of  course,  willing 
that  God's  will  shall  be  done.     I  believe  I  am  understood,  and 
if  so,  I  have  only  to  say,  that  on  this  ground,  the  Hopkinsian  is 
willing  to  be  at  issue  with  his  adversary. 

If  it  be  admitted  that  a  man  can  love  God  before  he  has 
evidence  that  God  will  save  him,  the  point  is  settled ;  that  he 
ought  so  to  do,  nay,  that  those  ought  so  to  do  who  know  he 
never  will  save  them,  few  will  dare  to  deny  :  and  this,  I  think, 
to  the  discerning  mind,  shows  what  the  proper  motive  of  love 
to  God  is.  Saints  and  an^rels  do,  in  fact,  love  God  for  the 
same  reason  for  which  wicked  men  and  devils  are  bound  to 


SI 


love  him,  viz.  because  he  is  infinitely  excellent  and  worthy  t« 

be  loved. 

Whether  a  Christian  can  feel  willing  to  be  an  enemy  to  God 
for  ever,  has  no  connexion  with  this  entire  discussion,  since  the 
willingness  to  suffer,  of  which  I  have  been  speaking,  relates 
wholly  to  the  penalty  of  God's  law,  and  not  to  a  transgression 
of  it.  The  breath  and  words,  therefore,  spent  on  that  idea  are 
wholly  wasted,  and  the  terrible  blows  often  given  to  it,  are 
dealt  out  to  a  shadow. 

INVESTIGATOR. 


N.  III. 


A  CONTRAST. 

1.  Men  are  condemned   for  T.  Men   are  condemned  for 
the  sin  of  Adam.  their  own  transgressions. 

2.  Men  have  a  natural  or  2.  Men  have  no  inability  to 
physical  incapacity  to  obey  obey  God  but  what  arises  from 
God.  want  of  inclination,  or  will. 

3.  Christ  made  atonement,  3.  Christ  made  atonement, 
or  propitiation,  for  none  but  or  propitiation,  for  all  man- 
ihe  elect.  kind. 

4.  The  gospel  invites  none  4.  The  gospel  invites  all 
but  the  elect  to  come  to  Christ,  mankind,  to  come  to  Chri&t. 

5.  None  but  the  elect  are  5.  All  who  hear  the  gospel, 
under  obligation  to  believe  in  are  under  obligation  to  believe 
Christ.  in  Christ. 

6.  The  elect  are  not  bound  6.  Every  sinner  who  hears 
to  believe  in  Christ  till  he  the  gospel  is  bound  to  believe 
shows  them  that  he  will  save  as  much  at  one  time  as  an- 
them, ether. 


I 


82 

Hence,  Hence, 

7.  No  man  will  be  condemn-  7.  All  who  hear  the  gos- 
ed  at  last  for  unbelief,  because  pel  and  do  not  believe,  will 
the  elect  will  all  believe—  be  condemned  for  their   unbe- 

lief— 


For, 
8.  Faith  consists  in  believ- 
ing that  Christ  died  for  me. 


Hen 


ce. 


9.  Those  for  whom  Christ 
did  not  die,  cannot  believe  he 
died  for  them,  unless  they  can 
believe  what  is  not  true  ;  there- 
fore, they  cannot  be  condemn- 
ed for  unbelief. 

Moreover, 

10.  Faith  is  neither  an  exer- 
cise of  the  will  nor  understand- 
ing, but  a  divine  principle. 


11.  The  Christian  begins  to 
love  Christ  when  he  finds 
Christ  will  save  him,  and  that 
is  the  true  motive  of  his  love, 

Wherefore, 

12.  Saving  faith  is  before, 
and,  of  course,  without  love  to 
God,  or  holiness,  unless  holi- 
ness be  different  from  love. 


For, 

8.  Faith  consists  in  ''  receiv- 
ing and  resting  on  Christ  alone 
for  salvation,  as  he  is  offered 
in  the  gospel.'' 

Hence, 

9.  As  Christ  died  for  all  men, 
any  sinner  who  hears  the  gos- 
pel can  receive  and  rest  on 
him  alone  for  salvation;  there- 
fore, any  unbeliever  will  be 
condemned. 

Moreover, 

10.  Faith  is  an  exercise  both 
of  the  will  and  understanding, 
and  a  divine  principle  is  a 
phrase  without  an  idea. 

11.  The  Christian  begins  to 
love   Christ  before    he   knows 
he  will  save  him   and  loves  him    j 
for  other  and  higher  reasons.     \ 

Wherefore, 

12.  Saving  faith  is  love  in 
its  very  nature,  and  is  a  holv 
exercise,  because  love  is  ho- 
liness. 


13.   A  Christian  cannot  be  13.  A  shameless  and  bare- 

diMntereslrd-the    in.erest   of  faced  confession,  as  unwor.hv 

sell  ,„„«,  be  at  ihe  bottom,  and  of  a  philosopher  as  a  christian"' 

the  moving  sprinsr   of  all  his  i          » u  tnrisiian . 

actions— even  of  his  religion. 

Reader,  here  is  a  contrast  to  the  purpose ;  read,  it,  and  be  as- 
tonished ;  and,  I  think,  you  cannot  but  be  astonished.  O  wretch- 
ed man  that  I  am !  who  shall  deliver  me  from  this  bodv  .f 
selfish  Autinomianism  ? 


3S 

\Vhen  I  had  got  thus  far.  sickened  with  the  odious  narr«wne,s 
the  «iovelling  selfishness  of  this  triangular  place.  I  dropped      ' 
pen  and  retired  to  rest.     "  In  ,he  thoughts  and  visions  of  my 
head  upon  my  bed,"  I  fancied  myself  travelling  alone,  throuuh 
an  extensive  and  desolate  country ;  it  was  towards  night,   and 
being  on  foot,  I  seemed  weary  with  the  labours  of  a  long  dav's 
travel;  I  began   to  look  out  for  a  house  of  entertainment,  but 
co.,1,1  discern  little  save  now  and  then  a  hamlet  of  unpromising 
aspect,  and  at  a  distance  from  the  road.     At  length,  however 
a  tabric,  of  extraordinary  appearance,  drew  my  a.temion.  and' 
as  I  approached,  a  signal,  near  the  gale,  gave  me  the  agreeable 
nonce  that  it  was  a  public  house.     This  building  was  perfectly 
triangular,  resembling  an   obtuse  prismatic  cone,  cut  perpend.' 
cular  to  Its  principal  axis,  standing  on  it.,  base,  rising  to  a  great 
elevaiion,  and  terminated  in  a   spire.     It   was  very  pleasantly 
situated  on  the  point  of  junction  between  two  large  streams  of 
water,  and  appeared  like  a  place  of  great  traffic. 

I  perceived  much  company  in   the  house,  and,  on  entering,  a 
man  immediately  presented  himself  whom   I  concluded  to  be 
the   landlord.      His  body    was  exceedingly  corpulent  and  large 
with    a    little   three.»q„are    heud,   and    eyes   very    sharp    and' 
twinkling,  which  seemed  "  to  look   at  one  another."*     How- 
ever,  he   received   me   with  a  smile,   and   on   asking  for  en- 
tertainment  he  assented,  and  told  me  that  in  his  house  I  would 
find  accommodations.     The  company  were  all  strangers  to  me; 
nor  did  I  ever  see  so  many  cross-eyed  people  together  before! 
I  look  a  seat  by  myself,  and  wailed,  wiih  some  impaiience,  for 
supper.     But  my  curiosity  and  astonishment  were  equally'  ex- 
cited to  perceive,  that  not  only  the  house  itself,  but  every  thing 
in  it,  was  in  a  triangular  shape;  the  doors  and  windows,  the 
rooms  and  fireplaces,  all  exhibited  that  form.     The  chairs  and 
tables  were  tripods— the   plates  and   platters,  triangular  con- 
caves, and  the  glasses  and  tumblers,  hollow  prisms;  but  everv 
thing  elegant  in  its  kind,  and  highly  finished. 

At  length  supper  was  announced,  and  I  took  a  seat  at  a  three- 
cornered  table,  with  a  numerous  company,  who  seemed  as  well 

*  Genius  tlieologioe,  N»Ti  Eboii. 
5 


84 


35 


pleased  as  myself  at  the  sight  of  something  edible.  We  com- 
menced with  little  ceremony,  and  happening  to  sit  near  the 
master  of  the  house,  I  attempted  some  conversation  with  him. 
He  was  affable,  communicative  and  sententious,  as  tavern 
keepers  usually  are.  The  provision,  of  which  there  were  three 
courses,  appeared  well,  but  had^  I  thought,  somewhat  of  a  pe- 
culiar taste.  I  called  for  pepper,  and  for  salt,  but  still  it  did 
not  do ;  and,  I  believe,  the  landlord  himself  perceived  that  my 
taste  was  not  well  suited.  At  length  he  said,  "  give  me  leave,  sir, 
to  help  you  to  a  relish  which  I  think  you  will  like,  for  I  have 
never  had  one  at  my  table  who  did  not  admire  it." 

"  This,  sir,"  continued  he,  "  is,  perhaps,  the  most  famous 
root  in  the  world;  its  botanical  name  is  amor  sui ;  it  is  a  very 
fine  root  for  the  table,  and  is  beginning  to  be  cultivated  in  these 
parts,  particularly  in  two  large  botanic  gardens,  whence  it  is 
sent  all  over  the  country,  and  they  find  it  very  profitable." 
And_  perceiving  he  had  some  knowledge  in  botany,  while  he 
was  putting  some  of  it  on  my  plate,  I  asked  him  if  he  knew 
to  which  of  the  Linnaean  classes  it  belonged.  He  said,  he  be- 
lieved it  was  to  the.  Pantandria.  Whilst  I  was  recollecting 
whether  Linnaeus  had  such  a  class,  he  said,  smiling,  *'  the  name 
of  this  root  sounds  better  in  Latin  than  in  English;  it  would 
hardly  do  to  give  it  a  translation." 

I  perceived  they  ate  of  it,  round  the  table,  by  spoonfuls ; 
and  the  landlord  said,  for  his  part,  he  could,  at  any  time,  make 
a  m«^al  of  it ;  in  fact,  wanted  nothing  else. 

For  the  first  moment,  I  thought  the  taste  of  the  amor  sui 
very  agreeable.  It  had  a  racy  and  aromatic  gusto,  highly 
grateful  to  the  palate ;  but,  after  a  while,  it  began  to  bite  my 
tongue,  burn  my  lips,  draw  up  my  mouth,  contract  my  opsopha- 
gus ;  and,  in  short,  the  more  I  tasted  it  the  worse  it  was.  It 
put  me  in  mind  of  Allen's  attempt  to  eat  the  olive.  A  gentle- 
man, near  me,  seeing  my  embarrassment,  observed  that,  like 
mo'it  high-flavoured  things,  at  first,  it  seemed  rather  pungent 
and  harsh;  "  but,"  said  he,  *'  sir,  I  have  no  doubt  you  will  soon 
be  fond  of  it."  A  sour  looking  robust  fellow,  whose  e^es  were 
almost  wrong  side  outwards,  declared  it  was  now  used  at  every 
genteel  table,  and  he  never  saw  a  gentleman  bnt  what  liked  it. 


\: 


>ri 


*'  Why,"  said  he,  "  in  Scotland,  my  native  country,  some  call 
it  the  ministerial  root,  because  so  very  convenient  to  cuhivate 
on  their  glebes ;  it  succeeds  well  on  lands  which  will  produce 
nothing  else,  and  will,  in  this  country,  soon  be  thought  more 
valuable  than  the  potato ;  and  a  man  that  does  not  like  it  must 
be  a  fool."  He  further  added,  that  he  had  recommended  it, 
with  great  success,  in  this  country ;  that  he,  and  several  others, 
were  determined  to  bring  it  into  general  cultivation  and  use. 

In  a  region  in  all  respects  so  perfectly  trigonal,  the  effect  was 
wonderful.  I  could  not  repress  my  curiosity,  and  I  feared  I 
should  give  offence  by  appearing  to  inspect  the  various  little  ar- 
ticles which  lay  about  my  plate,  not  to  say  that  a  three-square 
spoon  did  not  very  well  suit  my  mouth.  As  the  landlord  seem- 
ed willing  to  converse,  I  at  last  summoned  suflicient  confidence 
to  inform  him,  that  my  curiosity  and  admiration  had  been  not 
a  little  excited  at  the  very  singular  form  of  his  house  and  fur- 
niture; and  I  hoped  he  would  not  think  me  impertinent,  in  wish- 
ing to  know  the  motive  for  adopting  this  figure. 

After  a  little  pause,  with  a  serious  look,  he  replied,  that  I 
was  right  in  wishing  an  explanation,  and  that  no  ofience  would 

be  taken. 

"  This  mode  of  building,  sir,*'  said  he,  ^'  I  have  received  from 
my  ancestors,  as  they  did  from  their's ;  and  you  must  know  it 
is  the  true  primitive  form.  Our  first  and  grandest  maxim  is, 
never  to  admit  of  innovation.^^  This  maxim  is  founded  in  the 
fact,  that  although  a  little  good  may  come,  yet  a  world  of  evil 
does  actually  come  from  innovations.  "'  Why  sir,"  continued  he, 
with  increasing  earnestness,  "  all  the  bad  practices  in  the  whole 
world  are  but  innovations.  Satan  was  the  first  innovator,  and 
his  first  innovation  was  made  in  heaven  itself.  Then,  our  mo- 
ther Eve  made  a  sad  innovation  on  the  tree  of  knowledge,  and 
drew  Adam,  our  father,  into  it.  All  human  knowledge,  sir, 
is  but  innovation  upon  man's  primitive  state,  which  was  pure 
ignorance ;  and  *  ignorance  is  the  mother  of  devotion.' 

With  regard  to  this  house,  sir,  it  is  of  the  true  original,  nn- 
corrupied  Tuscan  order.  Three  posts  were  first  set  on  the 
ground,  and  their  tops  fastened  together:  some  say /o^/r,  but, 
sir,  I  say  three,  which  I  can  demonstrate  from  the  composition 


36 


and  resolution  of  forces?;  besides,  three  is  the  simplest  form,  and 
three  denotes  union,  strength,  and  perfection;  it  is  a  mysteri- 
ous number,  as  every  body  knows.  When  four-square  build- 
Ing^  came  in  fashion,  this  f)rlmiiive  form  was  forced  to  flee  into 
the  wilderness,  just  a<  the  true  church  did,  when  the  great 
whore  of  Bab>lon  usurped  her  place;  and  they  will  remain 
there,  and  emerge  together."  He  paused  here,  and  waited 
for  my  reply. 

1  lold  the  landlord,  he  had  satisfied  me  with  the  account  he 
had  given  of  his  house.  He  acknowledged,  that  there  were 
some  inconvenience^  attending  this  fitjure  of  things;  but,  then, 
he  said,  that  the  beauty  and  charm  of  uniformity  carried  every 
thing  before  it;  and,  for  his  part,  his  object  was  to  have  but  one 
standard:  every  thing  must  be  alike.  *'  But,  sir,"  said  he, ''  we 
carry  this  point  farther  than  you  imagine;  for  soon  after  our 
children  are  born,  we  have  a  triangular  box,  or  hat,  if  you 
please,  made  for  their  heads,  which  they  wear  till  the  head 
grows  in  the  box  into  the  shape  we  wish  ;  and,  as  they  grow  large, 
we  enlarge  those  helmets  according  to  their  years,  till  at  lenuth 
the  head  becomes  settled  in  the  shape  you  see  mine,  which 
form  we  consider  as  hi^rhly  favourable  to  acuteness  of  intel- 
lect." I  then  noticed,  that  the  osfmntis  and  os  occipitis  of  his 
head  formed  the  upper  angles,  and  his  chin  the  lower;  so  that 
the  top  of  the  head  formed  the  base,  and  the  chin  the  apex.  In 
the  course  of  the  evening,  I  had  opportunity  to  <ee  that  all  his 
numerous  children  had  ht  ads  of  the  same  form  as  their  lailiei  :* 
indeed,  Lavater  admits,  that  straight  litjes  in  the  skull  indicate 
strength  and  decision. 

I  perceived  that  this  innkeeper  was  a  mystic,  had  studied  in 
the  occult  sciences,  and  was  even  acquainted  with  the  cabalistic 
do<  trines.  "  Sir,''  said  he,  "  the  form  of  all  things  about  me, 
is  founded  in  much  deeper  reasons  than  you  probably  imagine. 
You  know,  doubtless,  that  infinite  perfection  can  only  subsist 
in  a  triime  being.  Among  intellectual  creatures,  there  are  but 
three  grand  orders,  angels,  men,  and  devils :  there  are,  in  all 
existence,   but  three   kinds,   spirit,  matter,  and   mixed.     The 


•  '•  "IVhat  do  the  »ld  dhines  say  about  it  ?" 


37 


heavenly  regions  are  divided  into  three  provinces,  the  first,  se- 
cond, and  third  heavens:  duration  has  three  modifications,  pre- 
sent, past,  and  future.  Adam's  race  are  all  in  one  of  three 
habitations,  earih.  heaven,  or  hell :  every  man  has  three  im- 
portant states,  in  the  body,  out  of  the  body,  and  again  in  the 
resurrecii(»n  state.  Every  solid  substance  in  nature  has  three 
dimensi()ns,  length,  breadth,  and  height.  But,''  continued  he, 
**  to  come  near  to  the  point,  you  must  be  one  side  of  a  line,  on 
the  other  side,  or  el>e  exactly  on  it;  and,  as  for  the  properties 
of  the  triangle,  philo>ophers,  from  the  days  of  Euclid,  and  long 
before  until  now,  have  never  been  able  to  explore  them.  By 
the  triangle,  the  mariner  guides  his  ship  across  the  ocean,  the  sur- 
veyor measures  the  earth,  and  the  astronomer  the  heavei  s.  In 
a  word,  I  take  the  triangle  to  be  the  symbol  of  strength,  wis- 
dom, and  perfection  ;  and  I  am  strongly  inclined  to  believe,  that 
the  soul  of  man  is  a  perfect  spiritual  triangle." 

Perceiving  his  enthusiasm,    equal  to  that  of  Dr.  Primrose  for 
monogamy,  or  Don  Quixote  for  chivalry,  I  nodded  assent  to  his 
arguments,    and  presently   desired  I  might   be  shown  mv  lodg- 
ings.    The  landlord  here  informed  me,  that  his  beds,  which  were 
numerous,   were  all  pre-occupied  ;  and,  unless   I  could   accept 
of  a  fellow  lodger,   he  could  make  no  arrangement  that  would 
be  convenient.     In  fact,  he  said,   his  usual  custom  was  to  put 
three  in  each  bed,   corresponding  to  the  three  sides  of  the  tri- 
angle;  when,  in  order  to  avoid  mixing  head  and  feet,  each  one 
must  bend  himself  into  the  true  figure.     I  assented,   however, 
to  take  one,  and  a  gentleman  present  ascended  with  me  to  the 
chamber,  of  which,  I  understood,  there  were  about  20  or  SO  in 
the  house.     But  here,  a  difficulty  arose:  the  bed  was  a  perfect 
triangle,  and  so  scanty,   that  even  the  sides  of  it  were  not  as 
long  as  its  intended  occupants;    however,   ec^ch  of  us  took  an 
angle  for  our  heads,  and  let  our  feet  contend  in  the  remaining 
angle ;  and  they    were  antipodes,    with  a   witness.     A  query 
arose,   whether  these  were  not  the  beds  spoken  of  in  scripture, 
where  it  says,   "  their  bed  is  shorter  than  that  one  may  stretch 
hiniself  upon  it,  and  their  covering  narrower  than  that  he  can 
wrap  hi»nsel(  therein." 
'    My  fellow  lodger  told  mc  that  the  landlord  was  invincible  in 


88 

this  whim,  that  he  would  have  every  bed  in  his  house  of  the 
same  size  and  shape ;  that  it  happened,  not  long  since,  that  some 
o-entlemen  travelling,  who  had  |»,ortable  bedsteads  with  them  of 
the  usual  form,  had  put  up  there,  and,  for  their  own  convenience, 
had  erected  and  prepared  their  own  beds.  The  landlord  find- 
ing it  out,  went  up  to  their  chamber  in  a  rage,  and  by  the  aid 
of  his  servants,  drew  them  out  of  bed,  threw  their  furniture  out 
of  the  window,  and  expelled  them  from  his  house.* 

Our  situation  was  such  as  promised  little  comfort ;  but  being 
weary,  I  soon  fell  asleep,  and  had  the  following  very  extraor- 
dinary dream,  which  may  be  called  a  dream  two  stories  high, 
or  Somnium  in  Somnio. 

I  fancied  myself  in  a  region  of  great  darkness,   saving  what 
dubious  light  arose  from   distant  fires,  whose  pale  and  curling 
flames  immediately  brought   to  my  m'nd  the  Tartarean  lake. 
Before  I  could  look  round  me  a  second  time,   a  peal  of  thunder 
shook  all  the  region,  and  a  glare  of  light  showed  me  thousands 
©f  beings  seated   round  a  vast  amphitheatre   facing  a  central 
throne.     The  lofty  arches  of  Pendamonium,  sustained  on  pillars 
of  gold,   and  illuminated  by  corruscations  of  flame,   from  the 
burning  lake,  rr^sembled  a  structure  of  solid  fire.     The  perpe- 
tual noise  of  distant  thunders  and  tempests,   which  shook  the 
fabric,   prevented  my  hearing  the  debates  and   consultations. 
At   length,   however,    a  voice   more    shrill   than   the  loudest 
trumpet  reached   my  ear.      "  Repair    to  your    stations,    and 
discharge  your   duties,    or  the  city  is   lost  to  my  kingdom. 
Show  yourselves  worthy  of  your  prince,   and,    since  it  is  the 
will   of  fate   that  you  contend   against   a  superior    foe,    ac- 
quire  fame  by  boldness  and  perseverance.     Address  yourselves 
to  every  individual,  and  yield  to  nothing  but  almighty  power. 
Be  off,  and  let  us  see 

What  reinforcement  we  can  gain  from  hope 
If  not,  what  resolution  from  despair." 

The  session  was  closed  in  a  manner  not  very  agreeable  to 
spectators  in  the  gallery,  for  no  sooner  was  the  last  word  pro- 

^  He  would  not  endure  them,  " no,  net  for  an  hour." 


t1 


39 

liounced,  than  the  vast  assembly  rose  with  a  noise  and  rapidity 
equal  to  the  explosion  of  a  thousand  magazines  of  powder; 
and  each  one,  in  departing,  resembled  the  track  of  a  meteor.    I 
know  not  what  became  of  me,  till,  sometime  after,  I  found  my- 
self walking  down  the  park  on  that  side  next  to  Broadway, 
when,  as  usual,  many  people  were  moving  up  and  down  the 
street.     The  sun  from  his  meridian  throne  smiled  with  peculiar 
radiance,  and  the  prospect  was  gay  and  interesting.  What  most 
engaged  my  attention  was  innumerable  winged  genii,  drest  in 
the  robes  of  Tris,  with  golden  drapery  floating  around  them, 
which  seemed  soft  as  air,  and  in  a  long  train  gradually  melted 
into  the  invisible  beam  of  the  sun.     One  of  these  flew  merrily 
about  the  head  of  each  person  I  saw,  keeping  pace,  as  they 
walked,  and  acted  much  like  bees,  when  busied  in  extracting 
the  mellifluous  dew  from   the  heads  of  clover  in  a  meadow : 
sometimes  at  one  ear,  and  then  at  the  other,  sometimes  for  a 
moment  perching  on,  then  vaulting  over,   and  flying  round  the 
head.     The  ladies'  large  bonnets  appeared  to  form  for  them   a 
pleasing  v.'hicle,  resembling  an  airy  chariot  below,  and,  when 
thus  perched,  they  might  be  mistaken  for  a  lofty   and   elegant 
plume.     Excepting  a  little  cloven  foot,  very  sharp  and  threaten- 
ing talons,  which  were,  however,  generally  concealed,  and  a 
proboscis  resembling  an  exquisitely  fine  dagger,  I  could  see 
nothing  about  them  which  looked  suspicious.   Although  nothing 
is  extraordinary  in  a  dream,  in  which  wayward  fancy  delights 
to  sport  with  the  laws  of  reason,  1  was  surprised  at  what  I  saw, 
and  recollected  the  words  of  the  poet : 

"  Millions  of  spiritual  creatures  walk  the  earth 
Unseen,  both  when  we  wake,  and  when  we  sleep." 

At  that  moment  my  curiosity  was  awakened  to  know  whe- 
ther I  had  not  one  of  these  aerial  attendants  about  my  head; 
and,  looking  round,  I  saw  behind  me  a  vast  figure  of  terrific 
form  and  aspect,  whom  I  could  not  for  a  moment  mistake  for 
his  infernal  majesty.  He  has  been  so  ofiein  described  that  I 
suspect  I  should  add  nothing  new.  1  will  only  say,  that  his 
glowing  and  protruded  eyeballs  evinced  an  ardour  and  penc- 


40 


41 


tralion  of  vision,  not  very  pleasant  to  look  at,  or  easy  to  srru- 
tinize;  and  his  whole  form  reminded  me  of '^  the  sun  eclip><.d,'* 
or  "  archangel  ruined." 

My  astonishment  was  increased  when  I  perceived  in  his  hand 
a  little  book,  which  I  immediately  k  fw  to  he  the  TRiAN<iLE: 
with  a  stern  voice,  and  a  frown  which  set^nied  to  inxphere  him 
in  darkness,  he  demanded  whetfier  I  wa>  ihe  author  of  that  hook. 
"  Great  Lucifer,"  said  I,  **  if  your  knowl^^di>e  is  as  great  as  is 
generally  imagined,  you  surely  must  know  who  wrote  it." 
"  Yes,"  says  he,  "  I  well  know  that  you  wrote  it.  and  I  am  now 
come  to  lake  vengeance."  There  is  a  vulgar  notion  prevailing  that 
no  living  person  can  speak  to  a  spirit ;  but  as  thi^  vision  came  up 
through  the*'  ivory  gate,"  the  reader  will  not  be  surprised  at 
this  dialogue.  I  asked  him  what  fault  he  found  with  that  book. 
^  Fault,"  said  he,  "  it  is  an  audacious  attack  on  some  of  my 
best  friends;  and  you  have  outdone  the  devil  himself  in  lies 
and  slander."  "  Very  well,"  I  replied,  *'  if  you  will  show  me 
a  falsehood,  in  all  that  book,  you  may  take  me  where  you 
please." 

I  had  often,  in  the  course  of  my  life,  raised  a  query,  in 
my  own  mind,  whether  the  devil  could  read  ;  being  strong- 
ly persuaded,  that,  like  many  of  his  followers,  he  had  con- 
demned books  which  he  had  never  read;  and  assured  that  to 
prevent  people  from  reading  was  one  of  his  devices ;  though 
somewhat  afraid  of  incensing  him,  I  made  bold,  however,  to 
ask  him  if  he  could  read.  *'  You  shall  soon  know,"  replied  he, 
"  whether  I  can  read."  With  that  he  turned  to  the  23d  pag^e; 
"  There,  you  say  that  a  rat's  tail  was  never  measured :  which  is 
false ;  the  zoologists  have  measured  it  a  hundred  times,  for 
they  measure  all  animals,  even  the  legs  of  a  grasshopper.  You 
have  told,  sir,  as  great  a  lie  as  Goldsmith  did,  when  he  said  that 
the  horned  cattle  of  America  shed  their  horns  every  year;  or 

as did,  when  he  said  that  the  ants  in    South  America 

would   carry  off  every   vestige  of  large  villages  of  houses  in 
three  years." 

I  told  him,  however,  that  T  did  not  mean  to  assert  that  a  rat's 
tail  was  absolutely  never  measured,  but  that  Hopkins  and  Cal- 
vin never  measured  it.     "  Hah,"  replied  he,  very  quick,  "  How 


i 


do  you  know  that  Hopkins  and  Calvin  never  did  it  ?  And  how 
dare  you  assert  what  you  do  not  know  ?  Hopkins  and  Calvin 
did  things  of  less  importance  than  measuring  rats'  tails,  and  as 
for  you,  you  cannot  say  that  they  did  not  spend  half  their  time 
in  that  business.*'  "  But,  sir,''  said  I,  for  we  now  began  to 
grow  somewhat  polite,  "  if  that  book  is  full  of  lies,  do  you  not 
like  it  the  better  for  that,  for  it  is  said  that  you  are  the  father  of 
lies  ?" — "  Come,  come,''  said  he,  "  those  that  wish  to  plea^^e  me 
must  tell  lies  about  my  enemies,  not  my  friends ;  at  any  rate, 
they  must  lie  to  suit  my  purposes.  I  don't,  indeed,  care  about 
abstract  and  metaphysical  truth  ;  that  I  confess  1  hate  as  most 
of  my  best  friends  do — but  truth  or  falsehood  which  suits  my 
interest,  [  approve  of.  For,  sir,  you  must  know  that  I  am  a 
selfish  being."  1  was  going  to  tell  him  that  I  presumed  I  had 
now  discovered  the  true  cause  of  his  resentment  towards  that 
book  ;  but  he  sternly  interrupted  me,  "  Come  along,  you  nre 
convicted ;''  and  I  believe  he  would  have  laid  hands  upon  me 
had  he  not  been  prevented  by  another  phenomenon. 

At  that  moment  the  ground  shook,  and  a  superior  light,  that 
cast  no  shadow,  seemed  breaking  on  the  heavens.  A  cloud 
appeared  on  the  northern  hemisphere,  whose  arching  sides  and 
silvered  edges  gradually  rose  to  a  summit,  on  which  sat  a  per- 
sonage, which  every  eye,  as  by  intuition,  perceived  to  be  im- 
mortal Truth. 

Her  throne  seemed  ivory,  and  over  her  white  robes  floated 
an  azure  mantle  besprinkled  with  drops  of  heavenly  lustre.  On 
her  head  was  a  chaplet  of  such  flowers  as  sprii^g  in  the  regions 
of  bliss;  and  the  summit  of  the  diadem  was  distinguished  by  a 
centre  of  rays  that  resembled  the  morning  star.  The  bloom  of 
eternal  youth  was  in  her  countenance,  but  her  majestic  form 
can  only  be  described  in  the  language  of  that  world  where  she 
is  fully  known.  In  her  right  hand  was  '^  the  sword  of  the  spi- 
rit,"' and  at  her  side  the  symbols  of  power  and  majesty  Be- 
neath her  feet  the  clouds  were  condensed  in  awful  darkness, 
and  her  chariot  was  borne  along  by  the  breath  of  the  Al- 
mighty. 

I  saw  no  more  of  the  demon  or  his  genii,  and  while  every 
eye  belieUl  tiiis  glorious  personage  from  afar,  a  gentle,  but  nia- 

6 


42 


48 


§ 


|l 


jestic  voice,  in  slovr  and  solemn  accents,  was  borne  to  every 
beholder  along  the  whispering  breeze. 

"  Unhappy  people  !  Truth  alone  conducts  you  to  happiness  ; 
Her  path  is  plain — her  progress  is  pleasant — her  end  is  glorious. 
Other  guides  obtrude  upon  you  their  services,  but  they  impK)se 
on  your  credulity,  and  will  betray  your  confidence.  Ignorance 
was  born  blind:  Prejudice  has  put  out  her  own  eyes:  Error 
speaks  but  to  deceive,  and  allures  but  to  destroy :  Ambition 
seeks  you  as  her  prey :  Tradition  is  importunate  without  rea- 
son :  Pride  is  the  sister  of  Folly,  and  without  goodness,  and  al- 
ways carries  about  with  her  the  weapon  on  which  she  will  one 
day  fall :  and  Selfishness,  with  facinating  smile,  presents  you 
with  her  bowl  of  deadly  poison.  Too  long  have  you  followed 
Uiese  fallacious  guides.  I  am  Truth  : — It  is  my  province  to 
conduct  you  in  the  path  of  life,  to  the  bosom  of  the  God  of  truth 
and  love."  She  ceased,  and  while  thousands  yet  listened  for 
something  more,  her  softened  close  seemed  to  die  away  in  a 
distant  strain  of  heavenly  music. 

But  for  my  triangular  bed,  this  delightful  dream  might  have 
continued,  but  here  the  antipodes  of  my  bedfellow  gave  me  so 
violent  a  shock  that  I  awoke,  and  behold  it  was  a  dream  !  But 
having  now  got  back  to  the  first  floor  of  my  dream,  it  appeared 
that  I  had  been  waked  at  a  very  critical  moment ;  for  I  heard  a 
great  uproar  and  running  about  the  house  below,  and  somebody 
broke  into  our  chamber,  and,  in  great  haste,  told  us  that  the 
house  was  all  on  fire,  which  the  bursting  of  smoke  and" 
flame  into  our  chamber  but  too  well  confirmed.  We  sprung 
out  of  bed,  and  hastened  down  stairs,  where  we  learned  that  the 
landlord,  who  always  slept  in  the  apex,  or  upper  angle  of  his 
huuse^  because  he  loved  a  lofty  situation,  was  hemmed  in  by 
the  flames,  and  likely  to  perish.  How  it  proved  I  cannot  say, 
for  here  the  cry  of  fiie  and  ringing  of  bells,  m  the  city,  awaked 
me  in  good  earnest. 

I  have  heard  it  remarked  by  an  old  observer,  that  the  first 
thought  which  strikes  the  mind  after  waking,  is  generally  the 
best  clue  to  the  interpretation  of  a  dream.  Whether  the  first  of 
these  dreams  is  allegorical,  I  leave  it  for  the  reader  to  judge  j 
and  whether  tiie  second  is  prophetic,  events  will  de(  lare. 

INVESTIGATOR. 


ih 


No.  IV. 

Why  is  the  word  of  God  called  « the  word  of  the  Spirit  ?" 
There  is  great  force,  appropriateness,  and  beauty  in  this  meta- 
phor. In  ancient  warfare,  the  sword  was  the  principal  weapon  ; 
was  of  such  use  an.l  importance,  that  it  is  often  put  for  thewhole 
offensive  armour ;  and  persons  slain  in  war,  are  said  to  be  sla.n 
of  the  sword.  The  scriptures  speak  of  pestilence,  sivord,  and 
famine,  as  the  three  great  scourges  of  n.en.  The  sword  ofthe 
Spirit  is  that  weat-on  in  the  hau.l  of  (Jod  by  which  his  enem.es 
are  subdued,  and  brought  to  bow  to  the  sceptre  of  his  grace. 
«  The  word  of  God  is  qi.ick.  and  powerful,   sharper  than  a  two- 

edged  sword." 

The  object  of  this  number  is  a  solemn  appeal  to  all   who 
shall  read  it :— to  the  friends  and  the  enemies  of  truth,  to  the 
people  of  this  country  at  large,   to  this  city,   and  to  the  men  m 
this  city  with  whom  this  controversy  principally  lies.     I  appeal 
to  their  consciences  before  God,   and  I  ask  them,  what  general 
strain    of  preaching-what  scheme   of  doctrine,   in    our  own 
country,   has  had  most  influence  in  promoting  the  great  work 
of  reformation -in  turnini.  many  to  righteousness  ?    What  stram 
of  doctrine  has  ha<l  the  ha|>piest  influence  in  turning  mankind 
from  their  vices,  and  causing  then,  to  assun.e   the  profession, 
and  exhibit  the  evidences,  of  religion,   in  their  life  and  conver- 
sation ?   r.id.r  what  strain  of  preaching,  and  thiough  what  parts 
of  the  union  do  Subbalh-breaking,  inieniperance,  |,.ofan.ty,  de- 
bauchery, and  gan.bling,  least  prevail  ? 

Ma.  '"  this  win  be  read  by  many,  probably,  with  a  careless 
reflection  abo..  provinchil  prejudices.  But  the  truth  ca.,not  be 
..Ucrec'  Vnd  ihe  t.uth  is,  that  what  is  here  usually  intended 
by  the  Ne,r.i:,'glan,l  xir.mi  .f  'loctrine,  in.ludlug  d.vme  sove- 
reignty, genei-ai  a.onemen.,  luorai  inability,  a  probationary  sia.e 
the  iuvllaiion  ofthe  gospel  to  all  n.en,  and  their  cola.e.al 
points,  have  been  the  doctrines  In  this  country  wbuh  have 
been  attended  v.uh  .evKals  of  religi....,  aud  g.eat  relormat.ous, 


44 


45 


i^ 


:  I 


*| 


■amoug   all  ranks  of  people.     Wherever  these  doctrines  have 
been  faithfully  preached  these  salutary  effects  have  followeci. 

On  the  contrary,  show  nie  the  city,  the  town,  the  village,  the 
tract  of  country,  where  these  doctrines  have  not  been  preached, 
but  where  they  have  been  opposed,  beat  down,  ridiculed,  and 
cast  out,  as  many  in  this  city  endeavour  to  do  by  them,  and  I 
will  show  you  a  place  where  relijrjon  is  little  thought  of,  where 
the  sword  of  the  Spirit  has  lain  dormant,  where  the  work  of 
God  has  rarely,  if  ever,  been  carried  on.  God  is  a  sovereign, 
and  surely  is  not  limited  to  any  certain  course  of  means ;  yet, 
ordinarily,  where  the  proper  means  are  used,  the  desired  effects 
will  follow.  From  the  day^  of  Edwards  till  this  time,  in  those 
parts  of  this  country  where  these  doctrines  have  been  preached, 
there  have  been  frequent  reformations — extending  often  through 
the  towns  of  a  county  ;  sometimes  for  an  hundred  miles  in  ex- 
tent ;  sometimes,  indeed,  limited  to  a  town  or  neighbourhood. 
At  the  present  moment,  indeed,  for  several  years  past,  and  al- 
most without  intermission,  large  districts  have  been  favoured 
with  what,  from  their  fruits  and  effects,  we  are  authorized  to 
call  outpourings  of  the  Spirit  of  God. 

And,  I  ask,  for  1  will  not  be  deterred  by  a  false  delicacy,  or 
by  the  fear  of  what  prejudice  or  malevolence  may  say  ;  I  ask, 
what  is,  and  has  been,  the  religious  state  of  those  parts  of  our 
country  where  these  doctrines  have  never  been  heard  ?  Though, 
indeed,  as  I  said  in  a  former  number,  these  doctrines  have 
been  disseminated,  more  or  less,  though  in  some  places  but 
transiiently,  in  every  part  of  the  union;  and  I  repeat,  that,  in 
every  part  of  the  union,  they  have  been,  more  or  less,  favoured 
with  tokens  o(  divine  approbation. 

With  regard  to  these  revivals  of  religion,  I  am  aware  that 
various  opinions  are  entertained.  I  am  by  no  means  about  to 
deny  that  some  persons,  who.  on  these  occa>ions,  espouse  and 
profess  religion,  do  not  continue  afterwards  to  give  evidence  of 
sincerity;  yet,  every  man  is  awfully  conceiued  to  see  to  it,  that 
in  speaking  against  these  revivals,  he  does  not  speak  against 
the  work  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  thereby  blaspheme  the  Holy 

Ghost. 
U   these    revivals    arc    not    attended    with   indications    and 


fruits,  whirh  every  Christian  will  allow  must  attend  religion, 
let  them  be  dishonoured  with  the  name  of  delusion  :  for  instance, 
they  are  usually  accompanied  with  seriousness,  anxiety,  and 
alnrm.  But  is  this  an  evidence  of  delusion  ?  When  a  man  be- 
comes convinced  that  he  is  a  sinner,  and  exposed  to  eternal 
perdition  tliereby,  is  it  unreasonable  to  suppose  he  will  feel 
great  alarm  ?  Are  his  fears  groundless  ?  Rather,  are  not  those 
who  feel  no  anxiety,  aliliouffh  exposed  to  God's  eternal  wrath, 
in  a  state  of  complete  infatuation  ?  Was  ever  delusion  so  great 
as  that  which  reigns  over  the  n>nn  that  can  despise,  equally,  both 
the  favour  and  the  wrath  of  God  ? 

Relic;ious  awakeninjTs  are  usually  attended  with  seriousness; 
a  desire  to  frequent  places  of  public  worship  and  instruction ; 
an.l  a  total  cessation  of  ordinary  amusements,  and  even  some- 
times: of  business.  But,  are  these  signs  of  delusion?  Would 
it  not  be  happy  for  all  men,  if  they  would  seek  first  the  king- 
dom  of  God,  with  great  importunity  ?  Are  not  the  hopes  of 
heaven,  and  the  fears  of  heil,  when  brought  home  to  the  mind, 
stronger  motives  of  artion  than  our  ordinary  amusements  and 
pursuits  ?    '^  What  is  a  man  protited,  if  he  gain  the  whoje  world, 

and  lose  his  own  soul  ?" 

If  these  reformations  do  not  reform  mankind,  they  certainly 
ore  not  the  work  of  God.     If  they  do  not  cause  the  drunkard 
to  become  te^uperate,  the  thief  and  the   cheat  to  become  ho- 
nest men,  tht>  debauched  and  the  lascivious   to  become  chaste, 
the   swearer  to  become  decent  in  his  language,  the  immoral 
to  !,ecome  regular  and  exemplary  ;  if  they  do  not  make  the  re- 
'tHfions  of  life  more  endearing,  by  being  sustained  better,  and  the 
duties  of  life  delightful,  by  a  habitual  performance  of  them,  they 
have  no  rlaim    to  be  of   God.     But,  if  they  produce  these  ef- 
t\Ht-    and  actnallv  make  men  better,  more  punctual  m  the  dts- 
.  hargeof  x\w  duties  of  the  first  and  second  table,  they  are  not 
the   work  of  the  devil ;  but  it  is  the  work  of  the  devil  to  cen^ 
sure  nnd  despise  them,  and  bring  them  into  disrepute.     It  is  the 
work  of  the  devil  to  h,:<rb^no.  devils  cannot  laugh  when  they 
see  men  roncerned  about  their  sah  aiion. 

Is  it  an  extraordinarv  thing,  that  a   discovery  of  the  fulness 
and  boautv  of  the  Saviour,  Ms  wiHiug.)-ss  and  power  to  save  the 


46 

^ul,  should  occnsion  sinners  to  rejoice  ?  Who  is  there,  that 
had  but  a  feeble  crlimpseof  the  great  plan  of  salvation,  through 
Christ,  who  would  not  rejoice,  even  with  joy  unspeakable, 
and  full  of  glory  ?  It  is  surely  no  light  thing  to  be  redeemed 
from  the  curse  of  the  law ;  "  to  be  made  free  by  the  Son,'*  and 
to  become  an  heir  of  his  glory,  a  subject  of  his  blessed  and 
eternal  kingdom. 

If  those  people  who  are  concerned,  and  greatly  alarmed  for 
their  eternal  interests ;  who  seem  to  forsake  all  other  pursuits 
for  those  of  rehgion;  who  rejoice  in  Christ,  and  break  off  their 
sins  by  righteousness,  and  their  iniquities  by  turning  to  God : 
I  say,  if  these  are  not  the  religious — if  these  are  not  Christians, 
who,  and  where  are  they  ?  Are  they  those  who  go  merrily  on 
through  life,  without  regrets  for  the  past,  or  fears  for  the  future; 
who  are  bewildered  in  the  avocations  of  business,  or  fascina- 
tions ©f  pleasure ;  who  are  not  troubled  with  superstitious  fears 
of  hell,  and  feel  no  apprehension  of  divine  displeasure;  who 
neither  trouble  themselves,  nor  others,  with  obtrusive  concerns 
of  a  future  world?  Are  these  the  followers  of  Christ,  "who 
are  not  conformed  to  the  world,  but  are  transformed  by  the  re- 
newing of  their  minds  V^ 

Are  the  gay  and  thoughtless,  whose  hours  are  divided  between 
routs  and  assemblies,  entertainments  and  parties  of  pleasure ; 
the  proud  and  ambitious,  whose  stern  and  haughty  eye  is  in- 
tensely fixed  on  the  glittering  summit  of  fame  and  power?  Arc 
these  the  followers  of  Christ,  and  shall  they  hear  the  high  and 
solemn  benediction,  "Come,   ye  blessed  of  ray  Father?" 

When  a  number  of  men  associate  together  from  motives  of 
pride  and  ambition  ;  build  themselves  a  splendid  house  of  wor- 
ship, and  endeavour  to  fill  it,  by  artfully  drawing  to  it  members 
of  other  churches  ;  alluring  by  intrigue,  by  whispers,  and  incan- 
tations, those  abortions  of  slander,  the  still-born  brood  of  false- 
hood, and  all  under  the  nameof  prosalyiism— is  this  the  church 

of  Christ  ? 

There  are  many  who  wish  people  to  become  religious  in  a 
more  rational  way,  with  less  noise  and  disturbance  than  usually 
attend  these  reformations.  Far  be  it  from  me  to  wish  to  ex- 
clude reason  from  the  faith  or  practice  of  Christians  :  but,  is  it 


47 

unreasonable  that  a  concern  so  vast  as  the  souPs  salvation,  and, 
especially,  so  opposite  to  the  general  habits  and  tempers  of  man- 
kind as  religion,  should  become  a  public  sentiment— should  af- 
fect a  whole  society  with  a  strong  and  simultaneous  sensation ; 
nay,  should  create  a  public  passion?  All  great  interests, all 
pubhc  concerns,  have  this  effect,  though  they  are  far  less  im- 
portant than  reliirion.  What  is  the  effect,  when  a  nation  is  agi- 
tated by  the  spirit  of  war  ?  The  enthusiasm  descends  even  to 
children ;  the  theme  resounds  in  the  songs  of  the  milk-maid  and 
shrpherd— in  the  conversation  of  the  peasant  and  plough-boy. 
What,  if  the  inhabitants  of  an  entire  county,  or  province,  were 
about  to  remove  from  one  kingdom  to  another;  a  general  senti- 
ment would  be  awaker.ed,  and  it  would  become  the  topic  of  pub- 
lic conversation  and  attention— of  animation  and  eihusiasm. 

Where  great  numbers  embrace  religion  at  one  time,  it  is  a 
true  and  real  emigration,  and  one  infinitely  more  important  than 
a  removal  to  India:  "  They  are  translated  out  of  the  kingdom 
of  Satan  into  the  kingdom  of  God's  dear  Son."  Is  it  wonderful, 
if  it  should  excite  strong  and  lively  sensations  ?  and  would  it 
not  be  more  wonderful,  if  it  should  not  incorporate  with  it  the 
natural  passions  of  the  mind,  and  sometimes  be  marked  with 
enthusiasm.  Or.  Young  says,  "  an  undevout  astronomer  is 
mad:"  but,  it  is  easier  to  study  astronomy  without  devotion, 
than  it  is  to  feel  religion  without  passion. 

We  are  not  required  to  love  our  neighbour  better  than  our- 
selves ;  but  the  great  apostle  of  the  gentiles  declares,  "  if  we 
are  beside  ourselves,  it  is  for  your  sakes."  If  an  apostle  could 
be  beside  himself,  could  almost  lose  the  command  of  his  rea- 
son for  others,  surely  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  nor  faulted, 
if  men  are  overwhelmed  with  fear,  elevated  with  hope,  enrap^ 
tured  with  joy,  in  contemplation  of  the  amazing  destinies  of 
their  own  souls. 

I  fear  that  these  nice  objections  to  religious  revivals  origi- 
nate from  wrong  views  of  religion  itself;  they  seem  evidently 
to  spring  from  a  disgust  at  the  sight  of  reat  numbers  seeking 
for  salvation  at  once.  They  want  people  should  keep  still,  and 
say  nothing  about  their  hopes  or  fears  of  futurity.  They  are  not 
0t  all  disgusted  at  '.he  sironcr  passions,  and  enthusiastic  feeling?. 


48 


©ften  manilested  at  horse  races,  in  theatres,  at  concerts  of  inu- 
sic,  in  aas*  mblies  where  great  events  are  celebrated,  and  in  the 
field  of  battle.  Man,  it  seems,  may  be  impassioned  about  every 
thing  but  religion ;  there  he  must  be  rold  as  marble,  unfef'ling 
as  clay,  dull  as  lead.  He  must,  by  all  nuans,  have  the  forms 
of  religion,  and  that  with  as  nv.ich  j>omf),  spltU'loar,  and  cere- 
mony as  you  please;  but  he  must  go  thnuigh  tho>e  forms  with 
as  little  ardour,  and  as  lifeless  a  tnonotony,  as  the  moouliuht 
shadows  of  the  churchyard  move  over  the  congregation  of  the 
dead. 

Whether  the  revivals  of  reii;jinn  in  this  country  have  been 
productive  of  good,  which,  at  leost,  would  be  evidence  in  iheir 
favour,  I  leave  those  who  possess  the  means  to  judge  for  them- 
selves; and,  in  the  silent  hour  of  calm  relliction,  they  will 
judge  justly.  In  the  heat  of  controversy,  aud  under  the  pain- 
ful stimulus  of  contradiction,  good  men  err  in  judgment  by 
overlooking  the  evidence  of  farts;  but  when  these  casual  clouds 
are  past  over,  the  sun  breaks  foith. 

But,  wherever  reformations  are  diiscountenanced  and  spoken 
against  by  public  teachers,  they  are  seldon)  observed  to  take 
place;  and,  I  call  upon  the  reader  of  these  numbers  to  look 
around  him  in  this  city,  and  mark  in  what  congregation  these 
appearances  have  occun  ed  ;  for,  wiiile  I  mean  to  cast  no  re- 
iections.  I  neither  mean  loftaiter  the  vanity  of  men.  The  truth 
will  bear  its  own  weight,  and  will  approve  itself  to  every  man's 
conscience  before  God. 

The  strain  of  preaching  which,  in  the  tV.ruier  series,  I  have 
stvled  triangular,  because  incessantly  urging  three  grand  points, 
which  1  consider  as  erroneous,  as  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  ob- 
serve, is  rarely,  if  ever,  attended  with  salutary  effects:  it  does 
not  carry  conviction  to  tiie  mind  ;  men's  understandings  revolt 
from  it.  Tell  men  that  they  are  condemned  for  a  crnne  they 
never  committed:  that  they  will  be  punish»'d  for  what  they  can- 
not do ;  or,  that  they  will  be  doubly  and  aggravatedly  con- 
demned for  not  believing  in  a  Saviour  who  never  died  for  them, 
and  they  will  feel  no  conviction.  However  they  may  force 
themselves  into  an  involuntary  assent,  into  an  artiticial,  as  I  have 
already    said,    a    kind  of  lechnical  belief  of  such   piopo  itions. 


49 


ihere  will  be  no  conviction  of  the  understanding;  for  there  can 
be  none.  They  may,  indeed,  say,  and  perhaps  truly,"  my  teach- 
er is  a  great  divine,  has  studied  these  things,  and  surely  ought 
to  know;  and  1  have  nothing  to  do  but  to  surrender  my  under- 
Standing  to  his  opinions  and  doctrines."  But,  alas  !  the  mind 
drawn  up  to  this  tension  is  like  an  elastic  bow,  which  owes  its 
figure  to  the  cord  which  holds  it;  its  strength  is  overpowered, 
but  not  its  tendency. 

Many  of  the  doctrines  of  revelation  are  such,  as  human  rea- 
son would  never  reach,  unaided  by  divine  light ;  but  being  re- 
vealed, there  is  no  doctrine  of  revelation  apparently  absurd  or 
repugnant  to  reason.     The  three  grand  points,  however,  which 
form  the  triangle,  are  not  the  only  ones  which,  in  their  convic- 
tion on  the  mind,  remind  me  of  the  bended  bow :  their  notion 
of  faith   is  inexplicable,  and   their  idea  of  justification  covered 
with  mist.     As  for  faith,  it  is  not  opinion,  assent^  reason,  know- 
ledge,  nor  love;  it  is  nothing  which  properly  belongs  to  human 
perceptions,  nor  exercises  :    I  have  sometimes  heard  them   call 
It  a  divine  principle,  but  never  could  learn   what  principle  was, 
or  wherein  it  consisted.     If  I  have  been  able  to  learn  what  they 
mean  by  justification,  it  is,  that  a  certain   quantity  of  Christ's 
righteousness  is  taken  and  put  into  the  Christian,  on  account  of 
which  he  is  justified.     The  scriptures  teach  us  that  Christ  has 
atoned  for  sin,  and  the  sinner  is  fully  pardoned  and  freely  justi- 
fied, in  consideration  of  what  Christ  has  done  to  magnify  the 
law  of  God :  but  the  notion  of  a  transfer  of  Christ's  righteous- 
ness, so  as  to  make  it  the  righteousness  of  the  sinner,  is  using 
words  without  ideas. 

Opposition  to  the  doctrines,  which  have  almost  uniformly 
marked  the  course  of  reformations  in  this  country,  and,  in  the 
hands  of  God,  have  been  the  cause  of  those  reformations,  can 
be  regarded  in  other  light  than  as  a  deadly  aim  at  reforma- 
tion itself.  He  who  strikes  at  the  cause,  strikes  with  a  bolder 
hand,  and  with  higher  aim,  than  he  who  strikes  at  the  effect. 
He  who  proves  that  a  reformation,  so  called,  is  but  an  excite- 
ment of  natural  passion,  and  that  its  subjects  may  apostatize 
from  their  profession,  proves  little;  at  least,  but  a  local  fact : 
but  he  who  makes  war  on  that  strain  of  pleaching  and  scheme 

7 


50 


o(  doctrine,  which  has  been  followed  by  nearly  all  the  revivals 
of  religion  in  a  nation,  if  he  succeed,  will  not  be  troubled   with 
apostacies,  for  he  will  see  no  reformations ;    he  will  have  the 
pleasure,  if  it    may  be  called  a  pleasure,  of  seeing  people  go 
carelessly  on  through  life,  with  no  troubjesom*'  anxieties  about 
religion,  or  the  life  to  come;  he  will  tell  thera,  from  sabbath  to 
sabbath,  that  "  Christ  died  for  none  but  the  elect ;  that  he  died 
for  them,  because  they  were  the  elect ;  and  that  when  he  makes 
known  to  them  their  election,  then  they  ought  to  love  and  obey 
him  :*'  they  will  make  their  own  improvement,  "  that  all  anxieties 
about  salvation  are  useless  and  vain.     Why  should  we  borrow 
trouble,  or  anticipate  evil  (  Let  us  eat  and  drink,  for  to-morrow 
we  die.     If  he  has   died   for  us,  he  will  make  it  known  to  us  in 
time ;  if  not,  then  we  owe  him  no  gratitude ;  and  as  we  were  all  con- 
demned in  Adam,  we  have  nothing  on  our  own  account  to  regret." 
That  people  will  quiet  their  consciences,  and  repose  calmly, 
and  sleep  soundly  on  this  triangular  bed,  is  as  sure  as  that  the 
sun  rises  and  sets.     This  triple,  nay,  quadruple  thraldom,  in 
which    their  own   voluntary   agency  is    in  no    way  implicated, 
soothes  their   slumber,  and  not  a  little  gratifies  their  pride;  still 
more  so  does  the  soporific  dose  **  descend  into  their  bowels  like 
water,  and  like  oil  into  their  bones,'*   when  a  religion  is  held 
up  before  them  which  is  no  business  of  theirs  ;  which  gives  them 
a  happy  passiveness,  and  is  every  whit,  and  in  all  respects,  ai 
distinct  from   their   moral  feelings  and  powers,  as  the  state  to 
which  it    offers    a   remedy  is    without  their    accountability   or 
blame.     As  they  had  nothing  to  do  in  bringing  them.^elves  into 
sin  ;  nothing  to  do  in  getting  themselves  out  of  it,  so  they  are 
highly  satisfied  to  learn,  that  they  have  nothing  to  do  when  fairly 
out  of  it.     As  for  faith,  which   is  the  body  of  their  religion,  it 
is  no  exercise  of  theirs,  and  lias  no  connexion  with  their  moral 
exercises   in   its   origin,  nature,  or  object,  for  it  is  neitlirr  per- 
ception  nor    volition,  knowledge    nor   love.      They    have    no 
virtue,  for  there  is  no  such  thing ;  and,  in  fine,  they  seem  to  be 
allowed  to   have  nothing  on  earth,  properly  to  be  called  theirs, 
but  a  little  selfishness. 

Such  a  strain  of  preaching  will  scarcely   be  followed  by  a 
spirit  of  reformation.     The  process  of  conversion  andofChris- 


51 


lianizing  under  these  tenets  will,  indeed,  makelittle  noise  :  a  perv- 
son  goes  to  his  minister,  and  tells  him  he  has  some  thoughts  about 
religion.     The  clergyman  asks  him,  <'Do  you  verily  believe 
that  all   men    are  justly   condemned   for  the    sin  of  Adam  ?" 
<*  Yes."     "  Do   you   acknowledge   yourself  worthy   of  endless 
misery  for  what  he  did  r"     "  Yes."     "  Do  you  believe  yourself 
totally  incapacitated  to  obey  God,  or  do  any  thing  which  he  re- 
quires?" "  Yes."  "  And  can  you  not  love  Christ,  who  has  been 
so  good  as  to  die  for  you,  and  has  done,  and  will  do  every  thing 
for  you,   and  will  carry  you  to  heaven,  and  make  you  eternally 
happy  there?"  "O  yes,  I  should  be  very  ungrateful  not  to  love 
one  who  died    for  me,  and  will  save  me."     ''  Very  well !  you 
have   nothing  to  do  but  confirm  yourself  in  these  sentiments ; 
you  had  better  join  the  church  ;  there  is  reason  to  believe  you 
are  one  of  the  elect." 

Let  it  not  be   understood  that  I  here  pretend  to  give  all  the 
words    that  pass  between  the  catechist   and    his  catechumen, 
but  I  give  the  great  features,  and  the  leading  points.     Enough 
more   words  are  used  ;  but    as  he  is   never    made    to  feel  the 
true  blame  of  his  condition,  he  never   feels  a  proper   repent- 
ance, neither  can   he  have  just  conceptions    of  the   nature  or 
application  of  the  remedy.     These  convictions  are  sufficiently 
silent  for  the  most   fastidious,  and  are  followed  by  conversions 
to  a  selfish,  opinionated,  intolerant  temper  and  character;  even, 
sometimes,  to  that  degree,  that  a  candid  observer  is   at  a  loss 
whether  such  a  conversion  is   more   the  subject  of  felicitation 
than  of  regret.     If  not   twofold  more   a  child  o(  hell,  he  is,  at 
least,  twofold  more  a  child  of  prejudice,   bigotry,  and  persecu- 
tion. 

If  some  men  shall  flutter  and  flounce  remarkably  in  reading 
these  remarks,  let  them  see  to  it,  lest  they  confirm  the  suspi- 
cion that  they  are  the  "  wounded  birds." 

As  this  Number  is  an  appeal  to  the  eye  of  the  piil)lic  respecting 
the  usefulness  and  importance  of  revivals  of  religion,  I  deplore 
that  I  am  compelled  to  add,  that  the  instances  which  have 
come  under  the  inspection  of  this  city,  are  mournfully  few. 
Look    into  those   large  rongrrgations  u)h>-o   fame   has   bce;i 


52 

spread  wide  by  the  splendour  of  the  great  names  of  the  men, 
who  are  "  the  angels  of  those  churches/*     And,   1  ask  those 
"  angels"   whether  they  would   not  rejoice  to  see  one  general 
reformation    pervading    all    their    assemblies,    and    spreading 
through  the   hundreds  and   thousands  of  tiieir  congregations  ? 
I  am  certain  the  angels  of  heaven  would  rejoice.     Would  they 
not  be  glad  to  see  all  their  people  roused  at  once,  to  secure 
the  interests  of  their  souls  ?     Would  they  not   rejoice  to  see  the 
whole  population  of  this  capital  moved,  as  by  one  spirit,  to  se- 
cure one  grand  object  ?     Surely,   such  a  moment  would  not  be 
greater  than  the  weight  of  the  concern  depending.     A  heathen 
monarch,  of  a  much   greater  city   than  this,  once  rose  up  from 
his  throne,  and  covered   himself  with   sackcloth—was  followed 
by  his  court  and  nobles,  and  by  all  the  people ;  even  food  was 
interdicted  in  a  solemn    fast,  for  three   days.     This  was  done 
because  God  had  declared    that  Nineveh  should  be  destroyed. 
And  is  there   no  reason   to  believe   that   God's    anger  burns 
against  this  city?    Has  not  the  cry  of  ils  wickedness  gone  up  to 
heaven  ?     And  would  not  a  reformation  that  should  visit  every 
house,  and  forcibly  seize  every  mind,  be  desirable  ?     Would  it 
not  occasion  joy  in  heaven  ?     What,  if  all  the  immense  crowds 
that  move  through  the  streets  were  suddenly  and  strongly  im- 
pressed  with    the  belief  that   they    were   infinitely  vile  in   the 
sight  of  God;  that  they  were  hastening  to  the  bar  of  judgment, 
and  to  an  eternal  world  of  retribution  ?  What  sudden  alterations 
should  we  see  !     Would  our  streets  resound  by  night  with  hor- 
rible  oaths    and   execrations  ?     Would    hundreds  of  houses  be 
crowded    with    scenes   of  drunkenness,   debauchery,   violence, 
and  obscenity?     Would  our  docks,  and  vessels,  and  lanes,  and 
alleys,   teem  with  wretched  people  in  whom,  the  last  efforts  of 
vice  have  left  the  semblance  of  humanity,  but  identified  with 
evpry  thing  loathsome  and  detestable  ?     Would  even  crowds  of 
children  be  heard   profanely  vociferating    the   awful    name  of 
God  in  their  common  sports  and  pastimes  ?     Alas !  it  is  not  con- 
sidered that  the  interests   and  destinies   of  every  one  of  these 
8(»uls  are   as  truly   great  as  those  of  the   first  rank  of  people. 
The  shadowy  vale  of  death  once  past,    and  the  soul  di.^cumber- 


58 

ed  of  its  adventitious   advantages,  there  will  appear  little  dis^ 
tinction  between  the  prmce  and  l)eggar. 

But  what  would  be  the  effect  of  such  a  reformation  as  this  : 
W^ould  it  not  be  the  theme  of  general  conversation  ?  What 
crowds  would  throng  the  churches  ?  And  would  it  be  admi- 
rable, if,  under  the  strong  impulse  of  a  general  sensation,  it 
shouM  become  what  mav  be  termed  a  public  passion  ?  Per- 
haps even  business,  for  a  while,  might  be,  in  a  manner,  sus- 
pended ;  and  the  ordinary,  even  the  innocent,  amusements 
and  diversions  of  the  city  would  be  forgotten. 

A  gloomy  scene  !  methinks  I  hear  some  one  say  5  and  yet, 
reader,   every  one  of  these  gay  people   will  soon   see  gloomier 
scenes  than  this.     The  hour  of  death,  and  the  solemn  audit  be- 
fore  the  throne  of  judgment,  will  be  more  gloomy  and  dreadful, 
and  without  reformation,  there  will  be  eternal  gloom  and  hor- 
ror     Nor  yet  wouhl  such  a  scene  as   this  be  attended  with  so 
much  t^loom   and  misery  as  now   pervades  the   city.     Ineffable 
ioy  and  pleasure  would   fill  every  pious  mind  at  the  prospect  of 
thousands  of  people  forsaking  wickedness  and   turning  to  God. 
Religion  is  not  of  a  gloomy,  melancholy  nature,  and  the  con- 
cern and  anxiety  attending  reformations  is  caused,  not  by  reli- 
gion, but  by  a  consciousness  of  the  want  of  it. 

Be  it  that  such  a  reformation,  in  this  city,  would  be  attended 
with  some  instancesofdelusion-some  indications  of  fanaticism; 

how  much  deeper  is  the  delusion  that  now  reigns  over  the  great 
mass  of  people,  while  they  neglect  their  eternal  interests,  and 
de.pise,  and  dishonour  the  God  that  made  them.      A  stronger 
fanaticism   hurries  them  onward  towards   eternal  rum  thnn  at- 
tnids  the   religious  enthusiast  in  the  favour  of  his  devotions 
The  stern  and  loftv  front  of  wickedness  everywhere   displayed 
^everywhere     mena.  ing-everywhere  daring    and    obtrusive 
defies  ;verv   thing  short  of  almighty  power      But  belore  the 
spirit  ofGJd  be  sent  "to  reprove  the  world  of  sin,  of  nghteou  - 
and  of  judgment,"    it  shall  melt  like  wax^-U  shall  vanish 

;;i;%Lke,<\o^trongish.^ 

''such  nn  event  could   not  take  place  but  with  a  general  and 
In      Anv  iudee  of  human  nature   will  percaive 
strong  sensation.     Any  Juuk,» 


54 


that  an  irreligious— a  wicked  man,  cannot  suddenly  pass  iroin 
that  to  a  religious  state  without  great  anxiety  and  alarm  ;  with- 
out unusual   agitation  of  mind.     It   is  not    merely  to  say,  *^  I 
will  now  become  religious/'    and    the   work  is   done  :  habits 
corroborated  by  time,  and  identified  with  nature,  are  not  thus 
broken  through.     The  allurements  of  wickedness  are  strong, 
and  are  known,  from  all  experience,  to  be  formidable.     A  drunk- 
ard does  not  lightly  say,  «I  will  from  this  day  become  tempe- 
rate:"  the   profane    blasphemer,    "I   will    henceforth   use   no 
more   profane  language:"    the  dishonest,    the  dissipated,  the 
covetous,  the  liar,  "  I  will  now   niter  my  course."     I  mention 
these  classes,  as  pre-eminently   wicked,  but  every  man,  even 
with  a  much  fairer  exterior,  in  his  train  of  feelings,  in  his  heart 
and  affections,  is  as  truly  irreligious  as  these  classes. 

Religioiis  awakenings  and  fears  are  by  no  means  delusion 
nor  enthusiasm.  They  do  but  present  truth  and  reality  to  the 
mind  with  their  proper  interest  and  influence.  A  man  on  his 
death  bed  is  greatly  alarmed,  feels  strong  fears,  and  calls  for 
advice  and  prayers.  Even  courts  of  justice  and  legislatures, 
when  a  man  is  condemned,  and  going  to  execution,  appoint  him 
religious  instruction;  send  him  a  clergyman  to  prepare  him— 
for  what  ?  For  the  very  same  event  to  which  every  soul  in  this 
citv  is  hastening:  to  prepare  him   for  death — for  the  solemn 

trial for  eternity  !   Who  objects  to  the  propriety  of  this  humane 

regulation  ?  Who  dares  not  think  it  decorous,  nay,  awfully  im- 
portant, that  a  man  on  his  death  bed  should  feel  solemnity,  anx- 
iety, earnestness,  fear — should  pray,  should  ask  prayers?  His 
eternal  state  is  now  to  be  decided ;  he  is  now  to  stand  that  trial 
where  there  is  no  disguise;  to  hear  that  sentence  from  which 
lies  no  appeal. 

But  the  thousands  that  swarm  in  this  city  are  in  that  same 
state.  Thev  may,  indeed,  and  some  will,  no  doubt,  live  longer, 
and  some  perhaps  not.  Many  of  lliem  will  go  as  suHdi'nly,  far 
more  unexpectedly,  and  the  danger  is  that  llioy  will  ro  without 
preparation.  A  dreadful  infatuation  reigns  over  mankind.  The 
interest-s  of  the  soul,  its  good  e.^tate,  and  salvation,  are  as  much 
"renter,  more  imperative,  and  grand,  than  any  temporal  concern. 


55 

as  eternity  is  longer  than  time,  as  endless  pains  and  pleasures 
are  more  important  than  those  of  a  moment. 

The  truth  is,  if  all  the  inhabitants  of  this  city  had  but  a  cor- 
rect idea  of  their  state  and  prospects,  they  would  universally  feel 
that  deep  and  trembling  anxiety  which  a  man  f.els  on  a  death- 
bed, or  a  criminal  under  sentence  of  death.     When  compared 
with  a   vast  and  boundless   futurity,  every  concern  of  life  would 
shrink  into  nothing.     They  would  feel  as   though  the  change 
was  present;  the  next  step  and  eternal  scenes  would  open;  hfe 
is  past,  and  the  dread  tribunal  is  before  them.     Then,  all  must 
depend  on  the  favour  of  the  Almighty  Judge.      But  have  they 
done  any  thing  to  secure  his  favour  or  deprecate  h,s  wrath  ?  No^ 
The  great  body  of  them  have  equally  neglected  h.s  favour  and 
his  wrath,  have   equally  despised  his  anger  and  his  love  ;  have 
felt  no  regrets  for  sin ;  have  never  made  a  prayer ;  have  seldom 
used  the  name   of  God  put  in  a  profane  oath.     And  are  such 
people  fit  for  heaven  ?    A  glimpse  of  their  condition  would  con- 
vince them   that  they  were  suited  to  no  place  but  a  region  of 

sin  and  misery.  .1    „, 

Then  they  would  think  of  the  Omniscient  eye  that  sees  them- 
the  Almighty  power  that  holds  them.     They  would  think  what 
goodness  had  been  answered  with  what  ingratitude,  what  favour 
by  what  perverseness,  what  love  with  what  hatred.     It  woukI 
occur  to  them  that  perhaps  their  crimes  are  already  past  for- 
eiveness,  and  that  divine  displeasure  may  now  be  ready  to  cut 
them  otr.     With  such  impressions  they  could  for  a  moment  en- 
tertain no  resolution  but  that  of  devoting  so  late  an  hour  to  so 
important  an  exigence.     I  need  not  tell  what  they  would  do  or 
sav  •   every  reflecting  mind  will  for  itself  strike  a  general  out- 
liBe  of  the  course  they  would  take.     It  is  the  course  generally 
pursued  by  persons  who  are  the  subjects  of  great  awakenings. 
«'  Who  "  says  Mr.  Locke,  "could  come  within  the  bare  poss.b.ln% 
of  infinite  misery"  without  fear  and  alarm  ?     But  if  all  the  mult- 
tudes  in   this  city,  excepting  the  comparatively  small  number 
of  truly  pious,  were  convinced  that  they  were  not  only  "  w>th- 
in  the  bare  bossibility"  of  endless  misery,  but  were  under  sen 
lence  of  the  law  of  God,  as  well  as  hastening  by  their  own  vo- 
luntary course  to  that   end  ;  that  it  was  not  only  possible,  bu' 


56 


highly  probable,  that  that  would  be  their  condition  ;  nay.  thae 
there  was  no  possibility  of  their  escape  but  bv  deep  repentance, 
and  thorough  reformation,  but  by  the  pardon  and  acceptance  of 
(lod  through  Jesus  Christ,  they  would  feel  and  manifest  the 
i^reatest  alarm  and   amazement. 

That  this  would  be  the  case  here,  w^  may  be  assured  from 
the  experience  of  all  Christendom  since  the  reformation  ;  and,  if 
possible,  more  from  the  experience  of  former  years,  and  other 
countries.  "  There  were  great  awakenings,''  says  President 
Edwards,  "  in  l625,  in  the  west  of  Scotland,  when  it  was  a  com- 
mon thing  for  people  on  hearing  the  word  of  God  preached  to 
be  seized  with  great  terror  and  alarm,  and  who  became,  after- 
wards, most  solid  and  lively  Christians."  The  same  author  in- 
forms of  many  in  France  that  were  so  wonderfully  aflected 
with  the  preaching  of  the  gos[>el,  in  the  times  of  those  famous 
divines,  Farel  and  Viret,that,  for  a  time,  ilie^  could  not  follow 
their  secular  business.  The  same  writer  mentions  similar  ac- 
counts from  Ireland  and  other  places. 

President  Edwards  also  quotes  a  letter  from  his  father,  in 
which  his  father  observes,  that  *'  it  was  a  common  thing,  when 
the  famous  Mr.  John  Rogers  was  preaching,  for  some  of  his  hear- 
ers even  to  cry  out  under  the  greatness  of  their  alarm  and  ter- 
ror. And  by  what  I  have  heard,"  continues  he,  "  I  conclude  it 
was  usual  for  many  that  heard  that  very  awakening  and  rousing 
preacher  of  God's  word,  to  make  a  great  cry  in  the  congregation.'' 

A  religious  attention,  thus  excited  in  great  bodies  of  people, 
cannot  be  safely  ascribed  to  any  cause  but  the  influence  of  the 
Spirit  of  God.  The  reasoning  used  by  Christ  himself,  in  answer 
to  those  who  blasphemously  ascribed  his  casting  out  devils  to 
Beelzebub,  the  prince  of  devils,  applies,  at  least,  if  not  with  equal 
force,  to  this  case.  He  said,  "  if  Satan  cast  out  Satan,  he  is 
divided  against  himself;  and  how  can  his  kingdom  stand  ?'  I 
do  not  say  that  when  a  village,  a  town,  a  city,  or  a  district  of 
people  are  religiously  affected,  that  Satan  is  cast  out;  but  1  say 
that  his  influence  is  weakened  and  his  kingdom  totters.  It  pre- 
sents an  immediate  check ;  as  far  as  it  extends  to  the  exuberance 
of  vice,  to  the  enormity  of  visible  wickedness.  In  all  ihe  sta- 
ijes   of  it<;  r>rogress  and  operation,  it   holds  a  favourable  aspect 


67 

towards  deep  and  permanent  reformation.  Experience  m\l 
warrant  the  assertion,  that  in  these  general  awakenings,  by  far 
the  greater  number  of  those  who  come  forward  in  a  public  pro- 
fession of  religion,  are  found  afterwards  to  adorn  that  profession, 
and  to  give  evidence  of  its  truth  and  sincerity.  It  is  also  known 
to  be  a  fact,  that  the  greater  part  of  those  who  are  the  subjects 
of  the  awakening,  are  found  eventually  to  give  evidence  of  a 

real  conversion  to  God. 

Even  those  who  admit  regeneration  to  be  a  progressive  work, 
and  believe  that  the  agency  of  the  sinner  is  more  or  less  con- 
cerned in  it ;— in  whatever  way  men  are  turned  from  sm  to  ho- 
liness, and  from  the  service  of  Satan  to  the  service  of  God ; 
every  one  who  wishes  to  see  the  great  work  brought  about   in 
some  manner  or  other,  cannot  but  be  glad  to  see  a  general  at- 
tention to  religious  concerns.     For  if  it  does  not  take  that  form 
with  which  they  are  most  pleased,  il  takes  some  form,  and  can- 
not but  result  in  raising  the  standard  of  public  morals,  and  m 
checking  the  torrent  of  vice  which   threatens  to  bear  all  before 
it,  an«l  which,  in  great  cities,  becomes  rapid  and  resistless  as  a 

flood.  ,  .      I  •      •.  1^ 

A  reformation  extending  to  every  house  in  this  city,  would 

be  the  noblest  sight  the  lover  of  humanity  ever  saw.   Its  indica- 
tions would  be  strong  and  decisive.     The   reign  of  vice,  which 
now  regards  no  limit,    but  throws  its  malign    influence  with.n 
every  enclosure,  would  on  all   sides  be  curtailed.     Ihe  horrid 
clang  of  profaneness,  the  bloated   features  of  dissipation,  the 
haggard  spectacle  of  prostitution,  the  inanity  of  vicious  idleness 
the  menace  of  unbridled  passion,  deliberate  revenge,  curtained 
behind    human    features,  and     heard    remote,   son.e.imes  h.e 
thunders   in  the  bosom  of  darkness  j-in   fine,  the  conflicts   of 
interest,  the  wiles  of  dishonesty,  the  deep-laid  snares  of  covet- 
ousness,  which  now,  at  every  step,  arrest  your  attention,  ,1  not 
endanger  your  repose,  would  suddenly  disappear. 

What  if  there  were  even  a  temporary  suspension  of  business, 
a  circumstance  I  have  known  to  attend  the  piogress  o(  such  a 
work  ?  Would  that  be  any  evidence  against  it  ?  is  tins  world  of 
darkness  and  sin  so  vastly  important  that  nothing  lor  a  mo- 
ment  must  ever  interrupt  man's  complete  and   universal  .ervi- 

8 


5tf 

tude  to  its  toils  and  cares,  till  he  plunges  into  eternity  ?  Must  a 
man  be  the  subject  of  sarcasm  and  contempt,  because  in  the 
first  hours  of  his  solicitude  to  secure  eternal  felicity,  in  the  first 
days  of  his  espousal  to  the  adorable  Redeemer,  he  has  neglect- 
ed worldly  pursuits  !  Alas  !  those  that  bring  this  objection,  I 
fear,  have  never  been  informed  that  "  the  love  of  money  is  the 
root  of  all  evil ;"  have  never  considered,  that  "  it  is  easier  for  a 
camel  to  go  through  the  eye  of  a  needle,  than  for  a  rich  man 
to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  Christians  belong  to  a 
kingdi)m  which  is  not  of  tliis  world;  and  shall  they  not  some- 
times make  every  thing  give  way  to  the  interests,  pleasures,  and 
joys  of  that  kiugdom?  tsperially,  whilst  their  interests  in  it  are 
apparently  insecure;  whilst  they  are  solicitously  and  painfully 
endeavouring  to  obtain  "  a  name  and  a  place"  in  that  kingdom, 
shall  they  not  consider  this  world's  wealth  and  enjoyments  as 
"  loss,  and  dung,  and  dross  ?" 

When  were  the  people  of  this  city  known  to  relax  their  at- 
tention to  business,  under  the  powerful  sway  of  religious  im- 
pulse ?  Does  devotion  to  God,  and  the  solemn  acts  of  worship, 
infringe  on  the  days  of  the  week;  or  do  the  schemes  of  amass- 
ing wealth,  the  delirium  of  incessant  business,  still  fever  their 
souls  on  the  Sabbath,  distract  their  attention,  and  palsy  their  de- 
votions in  the  house  of  God,  and  surcharge  their  conversation 
in  the  intervals  of  worship  ?  Nor  yet  does  it  all  avail  them  :  for 
in  this  perpetual  and  endless  whirl  of  business,  they  resemble 
the  conflict  of  tho-isands  endeavouring  to  gain  a  slippery  sum- 
mit, where  there  is  not  room  for  hundreds  to  stand.  When 
half  way  up  the  hill,  they  suddenly  slide  into  the  vale  of  pover- 
ty, and  from   thence  sink  to  the  grave. 

The  King  of  heaven  himself  is  the  dispenser  of  all  the  bless- 
ings of  this  life,  as  well  as  the  life  to  come,  lie  has  said,  ''  Be 
not  anxious  for  your  life,  what  ye  shall  eat,  or  what  ye  shall 
drink,  or  wherewithal  ye  shall  be  clothed  ;  but  seek  first  the 
kingdom  of  God  and  the  righteousness  thereof,  and  all  these 
things  shall  be  added  unto  you.''  Accordingly,  it  has  been  ac- 
tually and  repeatedly  observed,  that  those  towns  and  villages 
who,  seemingly,  neglect  their  business,  in  times  of  religious 
aw^ening,  have  been  favoured  with  abundance  and  peculiar 


59 

prosperity  in  those  seasons.     There  is,  indeed,  the  promise  of 
God  to  this  effect ;    and  1  assert  what  is  known  to  many. 

While  I  figure   to  myself  all  the  inhabitants  of  this  city,  de- 
voutly and  earnestly  attending  to  the  most  important  of  all  con- 
cerns, I  cannot  but  consider  in  what   a  variety  of  respects  this 
would  be,  by   far,  the  happiest  city  on  the  globe.     The  great 
and  .<^.udden  diminution  of  the  number  of  the  miserable  victims 
of  vice— of  criminals  which  throng  our  courts,  and  crowd  our 
prisons— of  invalids  whirh  fill  our  hospitals— of  paupers  in  our 
alms-houses   and  asylums— of  helpless  age,  without  provision— 
and  infancy,  without  protection—of  beggars  patrolling  the  streets, 
whose  story  is,  generally,  but  a  veil  to  their  faults;  but,  most 
of  all,  of  that  numerous  banditti  of  thieves,  robbers,  swindlers, 
pilferers,  incendiaries,  burglars,  and  ruffians,  uhose    conceal- 
ment from  the  public  eye  alone  prevents  a  general  alarm. 

The  immense   accumulation  of  human  masses  of  the   above 
description,  in  great  cities,  and  which  make  incessant  demands 
on  the  justice  and  vigilance,  as  well  as  the  charity  and  liberali- 
ty of  society,  become  at  length,  like  a  putrid  diathesis  in  the 
human  body;  or,  to  say  the  least,  the  perpetual  recurrence  of 
these  loathsome  objects  is  one  of  the  pests  and  torments  of  great 
cities.     Yet,  the  immortal  so.ils  of  all  these  miserable  people 
are  of  immense  value;   the  reformation  that  should  reach  and 
recover  them,  would  plant  new  stars  in  the  firmament  of  glory. 
And  how   delightful  the  thought,  that  the  light  of  truth  should 
dispel  the  gloom  from  th-^se  dungeons,  and,  through  such  wide 
departments  of  pain  and  horror,  should  pour  the  healing  balm 

of  salvation. 

Far  above  these  Augean  stables  of  sin  and  pain,  and  which 
no  Herculian  labour  could  cleanse,  there  is  another  department 
of  vice  in  this  city,  but  connected   with  the  former  by  innume- 
rable doors  and  headlon-  steps.     This  region  appears  brilliant 
and  fair;  its  precincts  resound  with  hilarity,  feast,  and  song, 
and  it   contains    thousands   of  the    opulent,   the    fashionable, 
the  young,  and  the  gay.     Vice  is  clad  in  splendour,  and  a  sp,nt 
reiffns  here  which  knows  no  moral  law  but  inclination,  and  re- 
cognises no  god   but  pleasure.     But  one  use  is  made  here  of 
Jehovah's  awful  name,  and  that  is  to  give  bravery  and  rehsh  to 


!» 


I 


60 

the  idle  clamour  of  folly— to  embellish  the  fulmin^itions  of  wit 
and  mirth,  and  to  give  force  and  grandeur  to  the  language  of 
passion,  rage,  and  falsehood.  Is  this  the  abode  of  happiness? 
Its  chief  characteristics  are  restless  pride  without  gratification- 
ostentation  without  motive  or  reward— professions  without  sin- 
cerity—ceremony without  comfort— laughter  without  joy- 
smiles  which  conceal  rancour— approbation  alloyed  with  envy, 
and  vociferous  praises  dying  away  into  the  whispers  of  ca- 
lumny. 

<'  Tumultuous  grandeur  crowds  the  blazing  fsquare, 
The  rattling  chariots  clash,  tlie  torches  glare." 

What  changes  a  work  of  God's  spirit  would  cause  in  this 
numerous  class;  and,  O!  how  greatly  to  be  desired,  even  for 
the  purposes  of  present  happiness  !  But  do  you  think  that  these 
gay  people,  on  whose  countenances  often  dwells  the  smile  of 
peace— whose  every  step  appears  light  and  airy  as  the  radiant 
footstep  of  Aurora— whose  very  form  and  features  are  luminous 
with  contentment  and  hope;  do  you  imagine  they  live  other- 
wise than  in  a  contintial  round  of  unmingled  enjoyment?  How 
false  is  the  estimate  made  of  human  happiness  !  These  people 
are  as  mistaken  in  their  pursuit  of  pleasure  as  others  are  in 
judtfing  of  their  fehcilies  from  their  exterior. 

They  are  strangers  to  happiness  ;  and  I  am  in  no  fear  of  contra- 
diction. No,  the  immortal  mind  is  not  thus  made.  The  ghtter  of 
dress— the  splendour  of  apartments— the  loftiness  of  houses— the 

beauty  of  equipage,  have  all  the  potency  oftheir  charms  from  the 
supposed  admiration  they  excite  in  the  eyes  of  spectators  ;  and 
even  here  their  vain  possessors  are  grossly  mistaken;  for  more 
than  half  that  admiration  is  the  most  unlovely  envy.  The  bril- 
liance of  all  these  things  strikes  the  eye,  but  carries  no  pleasure 
to  the  heart ;  the  immortal  spirit  within  well  knows  they  are 
but  dust ;  and,  in  the  midst  of  these  baubles,  indignantly  retires 
within  itself,  and  refuses  to  be  condoled  with  a  portion  no  bet- 
ter  than  what  lulls  to  the  fowls  of  heaven,  and  the  beasts  of  the 
earth. 


61 

Religion  is  man's  greatest  good  ;  it  pays  the  most  respect  to 
his  most  important  interests;  brings  the  soul  to  the  knowledge 
and  possession  of  her  proper  enjoyments,  and  points  her  up- 
ward to  her  eternal  inheritance.  Without  religion,  the  wealth 
of  Croesus  cannot  save  a  man  from  the  deepest  poverty  ;  with 
it,  the  beggar  Lazarus  possesses  boundless  wealth,  and  shall  be 

eternally  blessed. 

With  this  idea,  the  object  before  me  becomes  important,  in  no 
ordinary  degree;   and  as  I  see  crowds  passing  by  my   window, 
of  all  ages  and  conditions;  their  high  destiny  and  immortal  pow- 
ers,  of  which  they  appear   to  be  scarcely  conscious,  rises  upon 
ine'in  solemn   prospect :    I  cannot  but  rellect    where   these  per- 
sons, and  all  the  multitude  that  I  see  move  about  these  streets, 
will   be   after  the  mighty  lapse  of  ten  thousand  ages.     Stupidi- 
ty may  laugh,  and  infidelity  sneer,  at  such  a  suggestion,  but  a 
heathen   monarch   wept  at  the   thought  that  all  his  army,   the 
greatest  ever  assembled,  would  die  in  a  hundred  years.*      And 
a  greater  than  a  heathen  monarch  wept  over  a  city,  doubtless 
less  guilty  before  God   than   this.     Yes,  after  the   full  period  of 
ten  thousand  ages  has  rolled  away,  not  a  soul   now  in  this  city 
shall  be  extinct,  or,  shall  fail  to  make  one  of  the  number  des- 
tined to  eternal  ages  of  happiness  or  misery. 

I  cannot  but  reflect  how  impt)rtant  these  days  are  to  the  thou- 
sands I  see  about  me,  perfectly  unconscious  of  their  value,   be- 
cause  thoughtless  of  the  great  purposes    to  be  answered   by 
them,  and  of  the  great  work  to  be  done  in  them.     As  it  is  with 
the  whole  of  life  itself,  so  it  is  with  the  business  of  every  day; 
they  have  an  ulterior  relation  to  our  eternal  state.     I    am  fully 
aware  that  the  effusions  of  the  holy  spirit  are  not  at  the  option 
of  men  :   it  is  not  in  the  power  of  man  to  cause  a  reformation  in 
this  city.     But   when   I  consider  the  boundless   fulness  of  gos- 
pel provision,  the  explicit  and  earnest  invitations  of  the  gospel : 
when  I  know  that  God   is  long  suffering,  "  not  willing  that  any 
should  perish,  but  that  all  should  come  to  repentance:"  when  I 
consider  how  this  city  has  been  distinguished  by  great  and  spe- 
cial  blessings  of  providence  ;   shielded  in  war,   delivered  from 

''  Xerxes  the  Great. 


li 


1 


62 

pestricnce.  prov-pered  in  peace,  and  rWin^  to  greatness,  1  cannot 
but  advert  to  the  stupidity  and  wickedness,  which  were  never 
more  visible  and  triumphant  than  at  tlie  present  time,  with  alarm 
and  foreboding.  And  let  it  be  called  prophesying,  or  by  any 
other  opprobrions  name,  God  will  not  sufl'er  such  blessings  to 
be  answered  by  such  ingratitude  with  long  impunity.  There 
will  be  changes,  and  the  sword  of  divine  displeasure,  is,  I  fear, 
already  drawn ;  in  what  way  it  will  strike,  or  how  it  will  tall,  in- 
finite wisdom  only  knows. 

Be  it  that  God's  own  work  is  in  his  own  hands,  and  that  he 
will  carry  it  on  when  and  where  he  pleases  :  Christians  ought  to 
know  that  God   works  by  means,  otherwise  of  what   use  is  a 
gospel  ministry?    The  Almighty  and  ever  blessed  God  has  pro- 
mised to  give  his  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  him.    But  let  any 
one,  to  whom  a  thought  so  improbable  as  a  general  reformation 
in  this  city,  may  occur,  who  may  feel  a  desire  for  the  salvation 
of  this  great  people;  let  jim  look  round  him  and  ask,  why  it  is 
that  sinners  are  surrounded  as  with  a  wall  so  adamantine,  so  im- 
penetrable, so  impervious  to  conviction  ?     Why  are  the  impedi- 
ments so  numerous?    Why  is  it  so  awfully  imjirobabie  that   we 
shall  see  a  general  reformation  here  ?     Why  does  it  appear  so 
discouraging,  so  hopeless,  so  morally  impossible,  as  almost  to 
paralyze  the  conception  of  de.ire,  or  the  secret  wrestlings  and 
agonizings   of  prayer  ?     There  surely   is  a  cause,  nor  is  tliat 
cause  invisible  in  its  operation.     Religion   is    everywhere  the 
same.   The.  e  is '*  balm  in  Gilead,  and  a  physician  there."   God 
is  no  more  hostile  to  cities  than  to  villages  :   his  spirit  is  as  free, 
and  his  otVers  of  salvation  as  full,  to  the  people  of  a  crowded 
city  as  of  the   open  country.      Nor  are  the  people  in  cities 
more   averse  to  religion  than  in  the  country. 

Human  nature  is,  indeed,  much  the  same  in  all  places;  but  if 
there  is  any  difference,  the  people  of  large  cities  have  more 
sensibility,  are  certainly  more  alive  to  the  finer  feelings,  and  to 
the  impulse  of  public  sensations,  and  are  more  quick  and  sus- 
ceptible to  sentimental  impressions.  They  are  naturally  no 
more  wicked,  no  more  inaccessible  to  conviction,  no  more  ar- 
dent in   worldly   pursuits,  no  more   insensible  to   the   solemn 


63 

themes  of  evangelical  truth,  or  to  the  condition  and  prospects 
ofihe  soul,  than  the  inhabitants  of  the  country  at  large. 

The  difference  which  sinks  the  scale  of  the  city  to  a  depth 
so  In)peless,  in  tliis  conijiarison,  is  owing,  in  a  great  measure,  to 
a  diflerence  in  the  means  used  to  promote  religion  ;  in  ihort,  to 
a  ditFerence  in  what  is  denominated  the  means  of  grace. 

If  the  reader  will  recur  to  the  first  numbers  of  the  Triangle, 
first  series,  he  will  there  find  stated  the  cause  to  which  1  here 
allude.  'IMie  strain  of  doctrine  there  described,  and  which  has, 
in  a  measure,  formed  the  current  of  opinion  and  lone  of  feeling 
in  a  very  great  body  of  people  in  this  city,  suffice  it  to  say,  has 
not  been  attended  with  Many  indications  of  reformation,  and 
has,  to  all  appearance,  presented  no  barrier  to  the  overwh«rlm- 
ing  flood  of  vice  which  threatens  the  city. 

It  will  be  easy  to  contradict  this  assertion,  but  not  easy  to  show 
that  it  is  not  true  :  "  cum  res  ipsa  loquitur:'  and  I  shall  dismiss 
this  subject  with  expressing  my  firm  belief,  that  these  doctrines 
continuing  to  be  disseminated,  enforced,  and  maintained  in  the 
manner  and  form  they  have  been,  for  years  past,  there  will  be 
no  reformation.  I  have  no  expectation  that  God  will  honour 
them  with  that  mark  of  his  approbation;  and  as  for  the  merit 
they  claim,  in  point  of  moral  suasion,  or  the  prospect  of  any 
cflfect  they  will  produce  in  that  way,  I  should  expect  as  much 
effect  from  the  Arabian  proverbs  delivered  in  their  native  tongue. 
They  are  not  the  doctrines  of  the  frequent  and  great  reforma- 
tions which  have  been  in  our  days,  and  in  our  country.  They 
are  not  "  the  sword  of  the  Spirit." 

The  more  these  doctrines  prevail  and  gain  credit,  the  more 
men  are  contracted  by  selfishness,  which  always  brings  intole- 
rance in  its  train  ;  the  more  noise  is  made  about  depravity,  and 
the  greater  the  ostentation  of  setting  human  nature  low,  the 
more  is  the  hearor  and  the  convert  flattered  in  his  pride  and 
quieted  in  his  conscience,  and  made  to  sleep,  by  a  potent  anti- 
dote, against  even  the  thunders  of  truth  :  the  more  that  is  made 
of  faith,  the  less  of  personal  holiness,  and  that  true  moral  ex- 
cellence, which  gives  religion  its  beauty  and  heaven  its  felicity. 
So  that  in  leadini^  the  sinner  to  contemplate  his  own  depravity, 
they   furnish   him    with   excuses  instead  of  overwhtluiing  hina 


64 

with  conviction ;  and  in  leading  the  Christian  to  consider  the 
gracious  promises  of  God,  they  putVhim  up  with  pride,  and  em- 
bolden him  audaciously  to  demand  salvation,  and  exhort  him  to 


"keep  Christ  to  his  word.'' 


INVESTIGATOR. 


No.  V. 


Among  all  the  words  wliich  give  offence  to  the  advocates  of 
the  triangular  scheme,  the  term  Metaphysics  stands  foremost. 
They  abhor  it  even  more  than  they  do  morality,  virtue,  or 
even  disinterestedness.  This  prejudice  against  some,  and  so 
many  of  the  best  words  in  our  language,  is  not  a  mark  in  their 
favour:  and  especially  when  it  is  considered  that  their  antipa- 
thy does  not  stop  at  the  word  itself,  but  goes  far  beyond,  and 
aims  at  the  very  things  these  words  are  used  for. 

Concerning  these  offensive   words  I  have  said   something  in 
former  numbers;  but  as  somewhere  on   this  ground,   they  have 
erected  one  of  their  strongest  fortresses,  from  whic  h  they  kvep 
up  a  perpetual  and  running  Are  of  random  shot,  I  shall  sit  down 
before  it  in  this   number :  nor  do  1  expect  to  find  it  as  impreg- 
nable  as  the  den  of  Cacus.     About  the  word  dmnterested,   I 
think  I  have  already  discharged  my  duty.     It  is  a  terra,   and 
conveys  an  idea,  well  understood,  in  all  our  best  writers.     Ad- 
dison and  Johnson  use  it  frequently  in  the  same  sense  we  use 
it.     A  man  sees  two  men  in  a  quarrel,  and  fiercely  contending. 
He  steps  in  between  them,  and  says,  *'  Gentlemen,  I  have  n« 
interest  in  the  result  of  this  contention ;    I  am  well  disposed  to- 
wards  you  both.     Permit   me,    then,   to  act  as  a  mediator  be- 
tweeu  you."     This  man  will   be   likely  to  have  influence  with 
both   these   men,    because   they    perceive  that   he   is   entirely 

disinterested. 

I  therefore  said  that  no  ^^ord  in  our  language  was  better  un- 
derstood, or  more  immoveably  fixed  m  iis  true  import.     I  have 


65 


not  seen  a  more  handsome  illustration  of  this  word  than  I  lately 
read  in  Cox's  lifeof  Melancthon,  where  he  sums  up  and  finishes 
the  character  of  that  great  man  by  observing,  that  he  generally 
acted  under  the  influence  of  a  purely  "  disinterested  benevo- 
lenre  "  But  some  of  our  grf^at  divines  would  tell  Cox  a  dif- 
ferent story.  Those  men,  who  have  eaten  freely  of  the  Amor 
sw\  pretend  that  it  is  either  a  phrase  of  false  import,  or  else  of 

no  import  at  all. 

The  word   morality  has  not  fared  better.     They  have  con- 
demned all  its  family  :    for  moral,  moral  agency,   moral  fitness, 
moral  depravity,  and  the  hke,  are  all  considered  as  Amalekites, 
and  proscribed.     Especially  the  phrase  moral  virtue,   made  up 
of  two  most  offensive  words,   they  regard  as  bad  as  the  union 
of  Herod   and  Pilate.     The  word   moral  we  derive  from  the 
Latin  moralis,   which  is  from  mas,   a  law  or  custom.     Morality 
is  conformity  to  law,  and  used  in  this  sense.     But  has  the  Chris- 
tian no  morality  /      Alas  !  some  professing  Christians  have  not 
much.     But  what  did  Christ  say  ?    "  Think  not  that  I  come  to 
destroy  the  law,"  &c.     He  goes  on  to  show,   that  he  insisted 
on  a  purer  morality  than  even  the  Pharisees,    who  make  clean 
the  outside  of  the  cup  and  platter,  but  what  is  within  ? — Extor- 
tion and  excess.     The  great  command  of  the  law  is  love :  and 
says  the  eloquent  Dr.  South,*    "  Love  is  not  so  much  an  affec- 
tion of  the  Christian,    as  it  is  the  very  soul  of  the  Christian;  he 
does  not  so  much  feel  it,    as  he  is  in  it.'' 

Moral  virtue  is  a  conformity  to  the  divine  law,  or  in  other 
words  comformity  to  God.  For  as  God  is  love,  he  that  dwell- 
eth  in  love  dwelleth  in  God  and  God  in  him.  Perfect  morality, 
therefore,  is  perfect  love  to  God,  by  which  I  understand  perfect 
moral  virtue.  This  is  also  sometimes  called  charity ;  and  as 
much  as  St.  Paul  insisted  on  faith,  he  had  no  diminutive  opi- 
nion of  it.  "  Now  abideth  faith,  hope,  charity,  these  three, 
but  the  greatest  of  these  is  charity." 

But  the  principal  object  of  this  number  is  Metaphysics,  a 
term  against  which  an  odium  has  been  excited,  and  by  means 
•f  which  incalculable  mischief  has  been  done.     Before  I  enter 

*  «  An  old  divine." 

9 


66 

on  this  subject  1  cannot  but  remark,  that  I  consider  this  as  one 
ol  the   most  oxrjaor  binary  controversies   ever   carried  on ,   not 
so  much   from  ils   nature  as  from  its  means  and  methods.     An 
attempt  to  carry  measures  by  exciting  strong  prejudice^  agamst 
words,   ai  the  stime  time  exac^ueratinu  and  uiisrepresentinjjj  the 
notions  pretended  to  be   affixed  lo   those  words,   and  keeping 
the   grand  points  of  diiTerenre  wholly  out  of  sight :   thi>(ourse 
persisted  in  for  year^,  and  pursued  wiih  boldness  and  abundant 
success  :  I   say,    these  circumstances  render  this   controversy, 
perhaps,   without  a  parallel. 

The  same  thinars,   however,   which  render  this  a  singular  con- 
troversy, render  it  not  a  hopeless  controversy  :    for  while  I  am 
perfectly  as-ured   that  it  results  from  misinformation,    in  very 
great  numbers,  I  am  assured,  with  a  certainty  nearly  equal,  that 
tliev  want  noihine:  but  a  right  understanding  of  the  case  to  come 
into,  and  adopt  the  truth.     Whatever  pride  of  character  may  do 
wilb  a  few  men,  with  whom  it  may  far  outweigh  the  solemn  dic- 
tates of  conscience,  the  great  body  of  the  people  have  no  motive, 
I  miglil  almost  say,   no  selfish   motive  for  preferring  error  to 
truth.     And  I  am  well  assured  that,  at  least,  some  may  be  con- 
vinced that  their  credulity   has  been   imposed   upon,  and  that 
they  have  been  deceived.     They   may  be  convinced   that  error 
has   held  an   ascendancy  over  truth,  not  by  argument,    but  by 
efforts  of  influence  from  men  riding  on  the  shoulders  of  public 
confidence. 

The  case  now  to  be  mentioned  is  one  of  a  most  extraordi- 
nary nature.  I  appeal  to  the  people  of  this  city  at  large,  that 
they  have  been  led  into  the  liabit  of  believing  that  metaphysics 
have  no  connexion  witli  religion  : — that  every  thing  metaphy- 
sical i>  ini(>roper  and  unbecoiniiig  the  pulpit,  or  a  gospel  ser- 
mon :  and  thai  tlie  Hopkinsians  have  little  else  but  metaphysics 
in  their  sermons.  They  are  very  different  from  the  good  old 
woman  I  once  heard  of,  who,  hearing  her  minister,  in  whom 
she  had  great  confidence,  say  something  about  metaphysics,  re- 
plied, "  O  yes,  1  know  that  Christ  is  both  meet  and  phi/sic  for 
the  poor  sinner.''  They  do  not,  however,  think  quite  so  well 
about  metaphysics  as  to  think  it  is  both  meet  and  physic   for 


67 

the  sinner.   aUhous^h  quite   as    much  mistaken  with   regard  to 
what  ni-^taphysics  are. 

1.  **  Met.iphy-ics,  or  or»to!oirv."  says  Johnson,  "  is  the  science 
whi«h   treats  of  thr^  affections  of  br:iug  in   general"     In   st»jit- 
nt-ss.  the  w)iole  of  truth  mav   be  said  to  be  d:vid«'d  into  physi- 
cal and  Tnf'(aphv«^i<*al  ;    and  to  say  ihe  least,   many  o\  the  doc- 
trines of  religion  come  properly  and  strictly  wiuiin  ihe  depart- 
ment   of    metaphysics.      The  term   aff^rtion,   as    used   in   the 
above  definition,  is  taken    in   its  larger  sen-e,  and  in    rpJafion 
both  to  artion  and  passion.     "  By  the  aff  •«  tions  ol  bein^,"  says 
Dr.  Watts,  ^' are   meant  all  powers,   properties,    a«^«'idents ,  re- 
lations, actions,  passions,  dispositions,   internal  qualities.  ex!»>r- 
nal  adjuncts,  considerations,  conditions,  or  circumstances  what- 
soever."   (See  vol.  5.  p.  6.^9.) 

As  it  is  one  objt^ct  of  this  number  to  do  avay  the  prejudice 
and  opposition  in  many  minds  against  metaphysics,  by  sUow- 
in*>-  to  those  who  have  not  the  advantage  of  general  reading 
wliat  metaphysics  truly  are;  and.  as  1  have  this  moment  before 
me  the  Beleic  tlncyclop^dia,  published  :n  the  year  lG20,  and 
dedicated  to  the  lords  of  the  Belgic  Le  i^jue,  and  also  Dr. 
Watts'  System  of  Metaphysics,  I  think  it  will  be  useful  to  lay 
before  the  reader  a  compendious  view  of  the  subjects  of  vviiich 
that  science  treats.  If  the  reader  will  keep  in  mind  thai  it  is 
not  Ldvv-rds  nor  Hopkin«,  and  if  he  has  not  regnlarly  studied 
metaphysics,    I   presume    he    will    not  think   his  labour  lost   in 

perusing  this  shetch. 

Metaphysics,  or  ontology,  treats  of  being,  of  esr  ence,  or  nature; 
of  mode  and  form;  of  existen<e,  whether  actual  or  possible, 
necessary  or  contingent,  <iependent  or  inde^>endeut,  whence  ari- 
ses the  distinction  between  the  being  of  Gori  and  of  lii>  crea.ures. 
In  the  next  place,  it  considers  duraiion,  creation,  and  preser- 
vation;  and,  reader,  is  all  this  chaff  am!  non  «  n>e  r  It  then 
considers  unity  and  union;  but  what  :o<lrine<  are  inv<,lved 
here?  It  treats  of  act  and  power,  of  a.  lioi.  and  passivene.vs, 
of  necessity  and  liberty,  and  of  relative  affci ions ;  but  i-  dl 
this  nothing?  This,  reader,  was  the  grounvi  which  the  immor- 
tal l':dwards  cleared  of  as  many  danr  '»u..  errors  as  [le.cnles 
did  the   wilderness  of  mo«;>lers.     It  iieais  oi  truth,  gouaiiess, 


68 


69 


ill 


|W  ^ 


and  perfection ;  principles,  causes,  and  efl'ects ;  of  subject  and 
adjunct;  of  time,  place,  and  ubiquity;  of  sameness,  agree- 
ment, and  difference;  of  number  and  order;  of  menial  lela- 
tions;  of  abstract  notions,  siijns,  words,  and  terms  of  art,  <fec. ; 
of  the  chit^f  kinds  and  divisions  of  being,  as  substance  and 
mode,  &c.;  of  natural,  moral   and  artificial  beings  and  ideas. 

Metaphysics  is  the  science  of  being,  and  there  is  not  a  doc- 
trine of  religion  which  relates  to  being,  which  is  not,  more  or 
less,  metapl!y>^i<'al.  Man  is  a  creature,  finite,  dependent,  muta- 
ble, and  ignorant ;  G<»d  is  the  creator,  infinite,  independent,  im- 
mutable, and  infinitely  wise.  Now,  in  all  these,  and  in  all 
other  affections  and  relations,  just  and  correct  metaphysical  no- 
tions are  essentially  important  to  a  proper  understanding  of 
truth.  An  idea,  or  notion,  or  proposition,  or  argument,  is  called 
metaphysical,  not  from  any  abstruseness  or  obscurity  belonging 
to  it,  but  from  its  natural  arrangement  with  a  great  class  or  or- 
der of  truths. 

Nor  has  it  been  a  little  conducive  to  the  progress  and  state  of 
knowledge  in  modern  limes,  that  classification,  or,  as  it  may  be 
called,  generalization,  has  made  such  advances ;  and  it  was  this 
that  suggested  to  the  great  Leibnitz  the  idea,  that  a  universal 
language  was  attainable,  and  would  one  day  be  discovered. 

Having  given  a  general  outline  of  the  proper  subjects  of  meta- 
physics, I  have,  under  this  particular,  onlv  to  observe,  that  the 
want  of  correct  views  of  metaphysical  subjects  is  one  source 
of  the  wretched  darkness  in  that  theological  system  which  I 
have  styled  triangular.  As  I  have  said  in  former  numbers,  the 
divines  advocating  that  system  are  essentially  wanting  in  their 
knowledge  of  the  powers,  affections,  and  relations  of  rational 
beings.  And,  if  we  can  admit  their  honesty  and  integrity,  we 
have  only  to  conclude  that  their  contemptuous  slangs  at  meta- 
physics, and  the  still  more  wretched  work  they  make  when 
they  exhibit  a  specimen  of  their  own  metaphysics,  must  arise 
from  their  profound  ignorance  of  that  most  important  science. 

2.  The  infinitely  wise  and  ht)ly  spirit  of  inspiration,  by  whom 
the  sacred  scriptures  were  dedicated  and  inspired,  having  furnish- 
ed the  proper  means,  has  left  man  to  the  use  of  his  own  facul- 
ties in  his  discovery  of  natural  knowledge ;  deeming  it  alto- 


gether unimportant  to  arrange  and  classify,  to  distinguish  and' 
name,  the  different  departments  of  science,  as  mathematics,  as- 
tronomy, metaphysics.  Yet  the  science  of  metaphysics,  at 
least,  above  all  others,  is  abundantly  grounded  on  the  scrip- 
tures. The  grand  and  leading  truths  on  which  that  science  rests, 
are  not  the  mere  assertions  of  Edwards,  or  Locke,  or  Mal- 
branrhe,  or  Stewart,  or  Baron,  they  are  laid  down  in  the  word 
of  God,  either  bv  facts  or  inductions. 

"  Metaphysics,  or  ontology,  is  the  science  of  being,  regarding 
it  in  reference  to  all  its  powers,  properties,  accidents,  relations, 
artions,  passions,  dispositions,  qualities,  conditions,  and  cir- 
cumstances.'' Beings,  are  God  and  his  creatures.  Now,  I 
hope  that  our  learned  adversaries  will  be  willing  to  admit  that 
the  Bible  teaches  something  concerning  God  and  his  creatures; 
and,  beginning  with  the  first  of  all  propositions,  that  being  exists, 
which,  I  think,  the  Bible  proves,  there  is  not  a  power,  property 
or  accident,  a  relation,  action,  passion,  a  diposition,  considera- 
tion, or  condition  of  any  being,  which  does  not  afford  an  article 
of  metaphysical  truth  and  knowledge. 

Reserving  the  consideration  of  this  subject  to  a  future  occa- 
sion, when  lean  bestow  on  it  that  time  and  attention  which  arc 
due  to  its  vast   importance,  I   shall    here  only  observe,  that  a 
great  part  of  the  truths  laid   down  in   the  scriptures,  are  meta- 
physical truths ;  and  the  grandest  arguments  there  found,  come 
under  the  science  of  ontology.     I   instance  the  deputation   be- 
tween Job  and   his  three  friends  ;   the  argument  and  expostula- 
tions of  Ezekiel;  the  reasonings  of  St.  Paul,  and  even  of  Christ 
himself.     That  love  is  an  affection  of  rational  being,  is  a  meta- 
physical proposition:  that  God  loves  his  kingdom,  and  that  per- 
fect moral  virtue  consists  in  the  love  of  being,  are  equally  so. 
That   men   are  under  obligation  to  love  God  supremely,   and 
their  neighbours  as  themselves,  are  propositions  purely  metaphy- 
sical.    In  short,  the  grandest  of  all  propositions,  viz.,  that  God 
is  love,  is,  in  the  highest  sense,  a  purely  metaphysical  proposi- 
tion :    and  the  arguments  by   which  all  these  propositions  are 
roai'itained.  and.  in  fact,  all  abstract  terms  and  ideas,  belong  to 
the  .same  class  or  order. 

That  I  may  not  be  misunderstood,  and  to  save  the  objector 


70 


i 


a  little  breath,  let  me  furtlier  observe,  1  am  fully  aware  of  the 
ditrerence  between  the  consideration  of  the  affections  ot'  being 
regarded  abstractly  and  in  themselves,  or  in  their  concrete  form 
when  considered  in  conduct  and  character.  In  this  latter  state 
they  give  rise  to  minor  distinctions.  Thus  says  Dr.  Watts, 
^*  when  they  relate  to  kings,  subjects,  laws,  rebellious,  allegi- 
ance, treason,  &c.,  they  are  called  poUtical ;  when  they  relate 
to  God,  holiness,  Christianity,  repentance,  gospel,  and  salvation, 
they  are  denominated  theological;"  but  they  still  belong  to  the 
far  more  comprehensive  class,  metaphysical. 

A  discourse  or  discusion  on  the  affections  of  beings,  consi- 
dered abstractly,  in  which  their  nature,  principles,  operations, 
and  laws,  are  professedly  set  forth,  may  be  styled  a  discourse 
on  metaphysics,  or  ontology  ;  but  a  religious  essay,  or  sermon, 
or  body  of  divinity,  in  which  metaphysical  truths  and  reason- 
ings are  employed,  is,  nevertheless,  denominated  theology. 
But  what  havock  a  theologian  will  make,  who  has  no  correct 
knowledge  of  metaphysics,  daily  experience  shows  us;  and 
two  volumes  of  sermons,  lately  published  in  this  city,  would 
form  an  incomparable  book  of  reference:  of  which  I  will  here- 
after give  some  specimens. 

3.  From  the  character  of  God,  the  nature  of  his  government ; 
from  the  character,  duty,  and  obligations  of  men :  from  the  com- 
mands, threatenings,  and  expostulations  of  scripture,  and  from 
similar  sources  found  in  sacred  writ,  may  be  dedtjced  the  opi- 
nions which  the  ablest  and  most  judicious  metaphyscians  have 
advanced  concerning  the  powers  and  faculties  of  the  soul.  Yet, 
as  I  said,  the  spirit  of  truth  did  not  instruct  men  how  to  name 
and  classify  them,  nor  with  what  other  sciences  to  jiive  them  a 
place.  But,  notwithstanding  these  advantages,  numerous  errors, 
and  some  of  them  the  most  dangerous  and  fatal,  have  ever  in- 
fested the  Christian  church.  Some  of  these  errors  arose  during 
the  apostolic  age:  they  have  been  varing  their  form  and  influ- 
ence, and  maintained  their  ground  through  the  German  refor- 
mation. 

To  them,  in  a  great  measure,  are  owing  much  of  the  myste- 
cism  and  absurdity  conveyed  down  from  age  to  age,  about  ori- 
ginal sin.  which  term  Culvin  himself  acknowledges  is  not  in  the 


71 


scriptures,  but  was  invented  by  Angustin.  Some  have  denied 
the  spirituality  of  the  soul :  others  have  asserted  it  to  be  a  par- 
ticle or  emanation  of  the  Deity,  and,  of  course,  incapable  of 
moral  stain,  or  final  misery.  Some  have  denied  its  immortality 
altogether ;  and  others  have  supposed  it  to  sleep  in  the  grave 
with  the  body  till  the  resurrection.  Some  have  maintained, 
that  all  ihe  souls  of  the  human  race  were  made  at  once,  and 
are  kept  somewhere  till  bodies  are  leady  to  reieive  them  :  and 
others,  that  the  souls  of  the  human  race  are  one  of  the  inferior 
orders  ofoeons,  or  angels  that  fell,  who  are  thrown  into  a  state 
of  forget  fulness,  and  sent  into  bodies  prepared  for  them,  in  or- 
der to  a  second  probation ;  and  it  must  be  confessed  that  much 
of  human  conduct  favours  that  idea. 

To  this  mass  of  opinions  concerning  the  soul,  may  be  added, 
that  some  think  that  there  is  no  such  thing  as  freedom  or  moral 
agency  among  creatures;  that  they  are  all  like  so  many  ma- 
chines, or  automata,  moved  entirely  by  superior  agency. 
Others,  and  they  are  not  much  more  consistent,  believe,  that, 
since  the  fall,  men  are  free  to  do  wrong  and  not  to  do  right. 
But  Bible  metaphysics  teach,  that  sinful  creatures  are,  in  all  re- 
spects, as  free  as  holy  ones.  It  is  sufficient  to  render  an  action 
accountable,  to  know  that  it  was  voluntary,  A  holy  creature 
loves  to  do  right,  as  well  as  a  sinful  one  does  to  do  wrong. 
We  hear  none  of  this  metaphysical  jargon  before  courts  of  jus- 
tice, when  a  man  is  convicted  of  a  crime.  We  never  hear  it 
urged  that  he  did  it  because  he  was  not  a  moral  agent  to  do 

right. 

If  the  reader  will  turnback  to  the  contrast  of  sentiment,  at 
the  commencement  of  the  third  number,  he  will  perceive  that 
the  true  origin  of  nearly  all  the  difference,  arises  from  false  me- 
taphysics. Nor  do  I  think,  that  even  the  notion  of  linn'ted 
atonement  is  altogether  independent  of  that  prolific  source  of 
error,   as  1  shall  hereafter  show. 

Nothing  can  be  more  alarming,  nothing  more  ominous  to  the 
friends  of  truth,  or  more  hostile  to  the  great  doctrines  of  the 
Gospel,  than  the  efforts  of  many  to  banish  metaphysics  from 
theology,  and  render  them  disgusting.  Artful  and  designing 
men  know  the  efficacy  of  this  practice.     In  the  first  place,  they 


T2 


78 


4'  : 


infuse  into  the  minds  of  the  mass  of  people,  that  metaphysics 
are  something  odious  and   foreign  to  religion :   that  any  thing 
metaphysical  is  not  preaching  Christ.     They  then   go  on  to  ex- 
tend and  deepen  this  prejudice.     Any  thing  argumentative,  any 
train  of  close  reasoning,    however  demonstrative,  however  con- 
ducted in  the  strong  light  of  intuitive  evidence,  it  is  no  matter, 
they  have  but  one  sentence  to  pronounce,    they  can  refute  it  all 
in  a  moment.     They  need  only  say,  "Ah!  this  metaphysical 
reasoning  is  not  the  Gospel."     And   to  the  mind  duly  prepared 
by  prejudice,  and  ignorant  of  the  nature  of  metaphysics,  it  is  all 
answered   and  refuted.      There  are   books  now   in  this  city, 
there  is  Edwards  on  the  Will,   in  which  the  grounds  taken  are 
as  demonstrably  and  unanswerably  maintained  as  any  argument 
found  in  Euclid  :  and  many  of  these  anti-metaphysical  declaim- 
ers,   when  in  companies  where  they  are  ashamed  to  say  other- 
wise, will  freely  own  it :  yet  the  same  arguments  which  Edwards 
uses,  when  used  by  others,  these  same  men,  when  in  other  com- 
panies, will  refute  in  a  moment — "  Ah  !    it  is  all  metaphysical 
jargon  !     It  is  not  preaching  Christ !"     Thus  they  have  found 
out  a  way  in  which  they  can  easily  confront  the  eloquence  of 
Whitefield,  or  the  argument  of  Warburton.     They  have  only 
to  say  to  their  infatuated  admirers,  "  It  is   too  metaphysical  j 
this  is  not  the  Gospel ;"    and  the  work  is  done. 

But  the  worst  evil,  and  that  which  will  increase  it  in  a  geo- 
metrical ratio,  is  still  untouched.  This  abhorrence  and  pro- 
scription of  metaphysics,  is  spreading  into  a  much  wider  circle. 
Young  men,  educated  for  the  ministry,  are  carefully  imbued 
in  this  aqua  turbida,  and  they  will  soon  cast  up  rnire  and  dirt 
enough,  in  their  sermons.  Instead  of  reading  Locke  and  Ed- 
wards, which,  either  with  or  without  teaching,  they  will  be 
made  to  abhor,  they  are  kept  for  months  or  years  poring  over 
rusty  folios  of  modern  Latin,  whose  very  style  might  either 
cause  or  cure  a  Tertian  ague ;  and  which,  if  put  into  an  alem- 
bic, till  all  their  crude  notions  and  common  places  had  passed 
over,  would  come  out  a  moderate  duodecimo  of  excellent 
matter. 

From  these  lovely  folios,   they  must  next  trudge  through  the 
Herculean  labour  of  copying,  perhaps,  Dr.  "Verbiage's'*  vapid, 


manuscript  lectures  on  moral  philosophy,  or  somethincr  ^l^e,  a 
ta-^.i  as  u<ef(il  as  to  set-them  to  ee  fiow  many  times  a  day  they 
could  tlirow  the  sanie  stick  of  wood  out  of  the  third  story  win- 
dow; a«d,  at  any  rale,  it  keeps  them  as  clear  of  any  corret  t 
notions  of  metaphysics:  whether  it  keeps  them  as  clear  of  er- 
ror, is  another  question.  V\  hrn  these  young  men  come  before 
th^  public,  you  will  sor>n  hear  about  "  imputed  guilt" — natural 
inability — moral  agency  to  do  wrong — limit (d  atonement — 
percnissive  de<rees — faith  the  sum  of  reliuion.*  &'r.  &c. 

4.  1  am  perfectly  aware  of  the  ta>k  I  encounter  by  taking 
this  ground,  and  c<»ming  out  in  such  plain  language  :  I  have 
counted  the  cost, .  and  am  prepared  to  meet  the  consequenres. 
I  have  been  long  a  spectator  on  this  ground,  and  have  niarked, 
with  undesjMibable  emotions,  the  [irocress  ot  this  whole  busine^^s; 
and  it  is  not  a  hasty  re>olution  that  I  have  taken  to  liy  it  belore 
the  public  VV^hen  f  hear  one  with  an  easy,  nay.  careless  slang, 
explode  the  truths  of  God,  and  the  dictates  of  hi<  everlasting 
gospel  under  the  slur  of  metaf)hy>ics — when  1  hear  metaphy- 
sics themselves  brattded  as  error  or  non^ense,  by  many  w  ho 
are  grossly  ignorant  of  what  they  are,  and  by  other*?,  who,  if 
they  are  ignorant,  are  wiltully  and  criminally  so— when  I  know 
they  doit  to  answer  a  purpose  so  taial  in  its  nature  and  <onse- 
•[uences.    1  cannot  be  silent. 

But  there  is  one  point  of  view  in  which  this  subject  has  not 
been  brought  before  the  puhlic.  and  with  which  1  shall  close 
this  number,  together  with  ihi^  series.  These  professed  adver- 
saries of  mettphvsics  report  to  ihem  4S  otien  as  Edwards,  or 
Hopkins,  or  any  of  theii  admirers  and  followers  do  And.  per- 
haps it  is  owing  to  the  wretched  W(»rk  ihev  make  with  th.  n\ 
that  they  are  ashamed  of  the  term,  and  wih  to  whelm  it  under 
disgrace  and  darkness.     1  >hall  give  a  lew  instances. 

The  public  kncuvs  the  upioar  that  is  raided  auainst  the  Ho|)- 
kinsians,  for  hohling  thai  the  divine  agency  was  concerned  in 
the  origin  of  evil.  But  have  the^e  humble,  modest,  unassuu.ing 
people,  no  ideas  about  that  point  ?  What  sa\s  iheir  .'standard? 
their  almost  inspired  assembly  ot  divines,  in  their  catechism.''— 

•  See  Komuey's  Seinions,  vol.  1.  p.  69;  at  top. 

10  ^ 


74 

fheir  assembly  of  divines,  on  whose  incomparable  skill  andpr#. 
fundity  tliey  lav  sin  h  stress  ?    «»  The  decrees  of  God  are  his  eter^ 
nal  purpose,  wherehif,  for  his  oim  gfort/,  he  forefrrdains  whatso- 
ever comes  to  pass.'"     And   the  apostle  Paul,   no  doubt,  ht^ars 
them  out  in  this  declaration  ;  for  he  declares,   that  God  **  works 
all  things  after  the  counsels  of  his  own  will."     Now,  according 
to  the  assembly,  sin  was  foreordained,  for  it  has  surely  come  to 
pass,     *'0,   ni>,    tliat  is  metaphysics  !"     Any  reasonable   mind 
may  perceive,   that  nothing  can  destroy  the  connexion  between 
the  action  of  a  creature,   and  the  agency  of  an  infinitely  wise 
and  powerful  Creator,  who  made  him,  and  constituted  his  pow- 
ers and  faculiies.     *»0,  no,  that  is  metaphysics!"     Admit  that 
a  creature  acts  freely,  G(»d  ordained  and  decreed  that  he  should 
act  freely,  and  his  acting  one  way  no  more  frustrates  the  decree 
than  his  acting  another.    '»  O,  no,  that  is  metaphysics  !''    God's 
decree  no  more  impairs  the  accouniableness  or  moral   quality 
of  a  sinful  than  a  holy  action.     "  ()    no,   that  is  metaphysics  !" 
The  scripture  declares  that  God  decreed  some  wicked  actions  ; 
and  if  so,    why  not  all.?     *' O,    no,    that  is  metaphysics  !"     Sin 
was  either   decreed,   or  it  was   not  decreed.      *•  O,   no,  that  is 
metaphysics!'     If  it  was  decreed,   and  the  divine  agency  no- 
ways concerned  in  bringing  it  to  pass,  then  Paul  was  mistaken, 
for  God  does  not  work  all  things  after   the  counsels  of  his  own 
will,  but,  on  the  contrary,  he  works  many  tilings  after  the  coun- 
sels of  some  other  being.     <*  O,  no,  that  is  t(K>  metaphysical !" 
But  let  us  see  how  they  talk  about   this  matter.     They  say, 
that  sin   was  merely  the  fruit  of  the   free  agency  of  a  creature. 
And  so,   I  answer,  is  every  other  act  of  his,  when  his  will  is  not 
inclined  by  superior  power.     But  who  is  the  author  of  that  free 
agency  .>     "  O,  that  is  metaphysics  again!"     But  their  meta- 
physics will  fairly  make  out  that    neither  the  purposes,  nor  the 
agenry  of  God,  is  at  all  concerned  with  the  free  actions  of  crea- 
tures,  and  will  effectually  overturn  the  doctrine  of  decrees    and 
establi>h,  not  Arminianism,    but  some  ism  far  beyond  it :    will 
not   only  ilestroy  all  true  metaphysics,    but  contradict  a  multi- 
tude of  pa?  sages  of  scripture. 

Some  have  set  up,  and  dwelt  upon  the  idea,    that  it  has  been 
better,  oiji  the  wljolc;    for  (iod's  kingdom,  that  sin  has  taken 


ii 


75 

place.  I  mention  this,  however,  not  as  any  distinffnishing  seQ» 
timent  of  the  Hopkinsians,  but  merely  as  an  opinion  wh.eh 
some  of  them  have  advanced.  Against  this,  an  outcry  has  been 
made,  and  a  "  strange  horror"  excited,  because  it  is  metaphy- 
sical.  And,  reader,  I  appeal  to  a.iy  man^s  understanding, 
whether  this  is  not  a  reasonable,  and  almost  a  self  evident  sup- 
position. If  the  assembly  of  divines  are  correct,  and  if  God 
has  "  for  his  own  g^lory  foreordained  whatsoever  comes  to  pass," 
which  is  as  metaphysical  a  proposition  as  ever  was  in  print 
then  surely  he  foreordained  sin,  because  he  saw  it  would  be' 
for  his  iflory. 

And  what  have  been  the  consequences  of  the  existence  of 
sm  ^  I  answer,  the  infinitely  glorious  work  of  redemf)tion;  the 
union  of  the  divine  and  human  natures;  the  most  glorious  ma- 
mlestation  of  God  to  his  moral  kingdom,  through  Jesus  Christ. 
Ihis  IS  metaphysical ;    but  is  it  therefore  incorrect  ? 

Let  US  see  by   what  kind  of  metaphysics  this  is  refuted      A 
gieat  Doctor  comes  forward  and  asserts,  that  it  is  not  proper  to 
say  that  the  whole  plan  of  divine  administration  is  the  best  pos- 
sible; for  we  do  not  know  but  that  God  might  have  made  a  dif- 
ferent  plan  equally  good,  or  perhaps  better.    If  God  is  good,  that 
goodness  would  lead  him  to  prefer  a  good  plan  to  a  bad  one ;  and 
equally  so,  to  prefrr  a  greater  to  a  smaller  degree  of  good  :  but  if 
his  goodness  be  equal  to  his  power,  and  both  are  infinite,  then  the 
same  goodness  which  would  lead  him  to  prefer  a  greater  to  a  less 
degree  of  good,  would  lead  him  to  prefer  the  greatest  possible 
degree  of  good  in  his  entire  plan.     As  to  alterations  or  differ- 
cnces,  we  are  compelled  to  believe  that  the  divine    scheme,   as 
h  is,  was  preferred  to  all  others,  for  such  reasons  as  infinite  wis- 
dom  approved.   Our  ignorance  furnishes  no  more  objection  to 
saying  that  God's  plan  is  the  best  possible  than  it  is  to  our  say- 
ing  that  it  is  a  good  plan.    To  say,  therefore,  that  it  would  have 
been  as  well  or  better  for  God's  kingdom,  if  sin  had  never  tak- 
en place,  is  an    impeachment  of  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of 
God. 

What  kind  of  metaphysics  are  brought  against  the  doctrine 
t^( moral  inability?   Why,  they  say  that  a  sinner  is  not  a  moral 


'  *S- 


76 


aQ:<*nt  to  do  rieht.  but  is  onp  to  do  wrong.  Some,  indeed,  deny 
the  sinner's  moral  agency,  together  with  his  probaiionarv  state. 
J  rannot  here  descend  to  a  con*^ideration  of  their  arguments; 
but  how  remote  from  the  g-eneral  strain  i)f  divine  truth  revealt^d 
in  God's  wor<l  .'  how  contrary  to  the  testimony  of  our  own  ex- 
perience  and  feelings  !  The  wor(i  of  od  declares  our  actions 
to  be  free  and  accountable,  and  we  feel  and  know  that  they  are 
voluntary.  All  parts  of  the  scriptures  declare  that  Go<l  is 
waitincT  the  repentance  ar»d  return  of  the  wicked,  not  willing 
that  any  should  jierish.  but  that  all  should  come  to  repentance. 

The  obvious  motive  of  the  cry  that  is  raised  auainsl  metaphy- 
sics, is  to  screen  errors  from  the  lash  of  truth,  and  from  the  re>ist- 
less  force  of  demonstrative  argument :  and  if  certain  men  have 
found  themselves  urged  to  dwell  upon  the  artrnmenlative  strain, 
it  has  been  owincf  to  the  obtru'^ive  and  imptutunate  efforts  of 
error  to  behold  and  extend  the  dominion  of  darkness.  And  it 
is  rare  that  Satan  has  ever  resorted  to  ^o  subiile.  so  dangerous, 
or  so  successful  an  artifice.  What  method  can  be  more  con- 
venient, or  more  summary,  to  clo^^p  the  ear  of  thousands  against 
convirtion,  than  to  say  this  argument  is  metaphysical;  ah! 
tliaf  book  is  nothincT  but  metaphysics  .' 

The   prejudice   that  has  been  excited,  with  efforts  protracted 
through  a  series   of  years,  and  cherished   with    such    care    and 
zeal :  the  pr»-judice  of  every  man  in  this  city  against  New-Kngland 
sentiments,  has  been  owintr,  in  a  great  measure,  lo  the  ceaseless 
opeiation   of  this    mi>chievous    enirine.      The   pepetual    fire    of 
Vt^-ta    was   never   watched    with  such   sleepless    eyes,   nor  nou- 
rish.d   with  such  abundant  fu^l.     And  what  harvest  has  grown 
up  and  ripened  from  this  assiduous  cultivation  ?     Shall  \  say  a 
harvest  of  errois  '     The  mixtures  of  religion  of  any  sort  are 
hardly    suflTi.ient    to  include  theolog^ical  errors :    there  is  inanity 
of  sentiment;   there  is  emptiness  of  mind;    there  is  negation 
ofihouffht;    ()eople  are  not  instructed. 

The  New-t:ngland  Sermons,  Essays,  and  Tracts,  which  here 
are  absolutely  and  roundly  condemned,  as  metaphysical  hair- 
Splifiing,  are  in  fact  able  and  unanswerable  demon>frations  of 
the  most  important  truths  of  God's  word  j   carried  home  to  the 


77 

understandinqr  and  conscience  by  evidence;  and  as  secure  from 
refutation  as  the  solid  ^hores  that  bound  the  ocean  are  from  the 
wav.s  that  break   upon  them.     I  cannot  but  think  it  inevitable, 
tha,  the  publu.  ey.  will  be  stru.  k  with  two  volumes  oftnan^.^lar 
senuons  lately  exhibited  in  thi>  city.    I  entreat  the  reader  of  .er- 
mon^  to  lay  them   by  the  side  of  a  hook  of  the  sermons  of  F  d- 
wards,  or  ot    Emmons,  a.td    have  .he  patience  to  examine  and 
compare      I    tru.t  the  white   pa.er  and  conspicuous  print  will 
not  be  adm.tted   to   have  any   weight  in  the  comparison,  and  I 
have  nothing  more  to  ask,  and  nothing  to  fear.     The  reader 
cannot   but  perceive  the  gaunt  sides,  narrow   figure  and  sharp 
corners   of  the  trianule.      Xo   pt^opitiation   for  the  sins    of  the 
whole  wo.  Id  will  there  meet  hi.  eye.     The  non-elect  is   indeed, 
in    one  place,   insulted    with    the    declaration   that   he    will   be 
punished    for   not  helievin^  that   Christ  died  for  h^m.     (P    109 
vol.  1.  6th   hue  from  the  top.)      The    beauty  and    glory  of  .eli^ 
gron.  as  consisting  in  the  whole  train  <,f  loveK-  virtues  and  graces, 
beutuu.ne  with  supreme  love   to  God.   no  where  meets   the  eye 
ar.d  captivates   the  heart.      But,  on  the  contrary,  the   reader  is' 
toll  .hat  .^  the  righteousness   of  faith    is  the  radical  principle  of 
revealed  reh^cn,  from  Genesis  to  Reflation."     f\o\    1    p   6Q 
at  -p  )     A.,  J  w.ll  here  stop  to  tell  him  that  there  is  one  place,' 
a     Last    w   ere  a  more  radical  principle  is  mentioned,     (i  Cor! 
X       13.)         Now  ab.dethy«,M,  hope,  charity,  but  the  greatest 
of  these  IS  charity."  ^ 

The  author   himself  seems    aware  of  his    trian^rular  figure 
when    he  observes,  in  his  Preface,    that    there   will  be  perceived 

a  recurrence  of  the  same  thoughts  and  often  of  the  same 
|nanner  of  expression."  This  he  accounts  for  by  observing, 
that  .^  Great  and  general  principles  are  closely  connected,  and 
so  .ncorporated  with  the  re.nhs  of  these  principles,  that  it  is 
DO.  ,K,ss,t,le  for  a  person  whose  opinions  on  these  principles 
au<l  the.r  result<  are  definite  and  unwavering,  to  conceal  or 
aisseuible  his  views  or  feeliues." 

I  I.H.t  no  lho„eh.  of  making  remarks  on  style,  but  I  must 
con...«,  ,l„s  sentence  presents  a  heap  of  opinions,  principles, 
•uaresulu,  which  reminds  me  of  the  jgordian  knot.    Does  he 


78 

Mean  ,„  ^ay  that  th^  great   and  eeneral  principle   of  roliffior 
and   natural  philosophy   are  connected,   and  In.orporate.l    with 
the  results  of  the  prin.lples  of  .nathema.i.s.  and  that  it  is  no. 
possible  for  a   person   who.e  opinions  on  the  prin.  iples  of  ma- 
thematics  and   their  resuhs    are   definite   and   unwavering,  to 
conceal  or  dissemble  his  views  or  feelings  about  politics  ?     All 
th.s    m.ght  be   understood,   for  his  grand    proposition  is,  that 
grpat  and  general  principles  ai-e  rlnsel,/  mnnerled:    which  is  of 
the  highest  kind   of  unit-ersa/s  rendered  so  by  the  removal  of 
all  notes  of  particularity,  as  logicians  tell  us.     But  if  great  and 
general  principles   are  connected,   then   the  great    and    gene- 
ral principles  of  religion  and  natural  philosophy  are  connected 
and  so  are  those  of  law  and  physic.     But  his  second  proposition 
.s  .Tiore  extraordinary  :  for  he  says,  that  great  and  general  prin- 
ciples are  incorporated  with  the  results  of  these  principles  :    with 
a  different  ««9«e  w/,  he  .seems  here  to  mean  certain  principles  he 
had   in  his  eye.  but   leaves  us   to  conjecture  what ;   therefore    I 
substitute  mathematics,  and  it  will  stand  ilnis :  "  The  great  and 
general  principles  of  religion  and  natural  phih.sophv  are  connect- 
ed and  incorporated  with  ihe  result  of  the  prin.  ip'les  of  the  ma- 
thematics." His  third  proposiiion  is  a  consequence,  viz.  «  There- 
fore,  it  is  not  possible  for  a  person  whose  opinions  on  these  prin- 
ciples and  results  are  definite  and  unwavering  to  conceal  or  dis- 
semble his  views  or  feelings."     But  rea.ler,  does  fixedness  of 
opinion,  concerning  any  principles  and  results,  ofier  any  ajiology 
for  repetition,  or  render  concealment  or  dissembling  impos.ible' 
The   reader  may  repress  his  surprise  that   I  dwell   on   this 
matter,  for  certainly,  if  Stephens,  or  Bentley,  or  Scaliger   might 
give  a  column  on  a  word  in  \  iigil,  ]  may  speculate  a  little   on 
half  a  page  of  his  preface,  «  quod,  sine  dubio.  fuit  elaboralum 
mdustria,    et   prefeclum    ingenio."      And    I   shall   make  bold 
to  offer  this  as  a  specimen  of  the  metaphysics  of  these  people 
Now,  reader,  this  whole  argument  is  false.     Its  premises  are 
not  true,  and,  if  they  were,  Ihe  conclusion  does  not  follow :  and, 
if  it  did,  it  does  not  answer  the  purpose  intended  by  it.     In  the' 
first  place,  "  great  and  general  principles  are  not   necessarily 
nor  generally  connected,"  for,  if  they  are,  the  construction   1 


79 

^ubject    but  aie  perfectly  distinct  and  independent.     In  the  ,-! 
her'T'.;  r^^""""^"^""^^"^"  ^"^'^^  -nits  of  each 
mal  e  a  flourish,  but  mean  nothing.    But  in  the  third  place-  Ifi 

es:, ::;: : "  ^"  ^^""^"'  ^"■-"•'-  -^  -"--<«' and'the; 

In      f ;  ';"yP"-H  .ofiHher,  (a  most  horrid  idea  !) 

and   f  also  admitted,  that  a  man  is  definite  and  unwavering  in  his 

pu..n  about  them.   that  is  no  reason  or  apology  for  a':  et  - 

se::i:;i:::;:;:,r'"'  ■"-"  '-^  ^- «-  — '^-^  or  dis. 

How  much  better  would  have  been  the  author's  apology  for 
a  perpetual  recurrence  of  a  few  ideas,  had  he  said,  "The  man 
w  "  moves  in  a  triangle  has  but  three  short  lines  t;  trace,  and 
three  corners  ,o  turn  .^"  «  O  ye  Corinthians,  ye  are  straitened 
in  your  own  bowels  .'"  straitened 

INVESTIGATOR. 


No.  VI. 

r  HA,  before  me  the  Pastoral  letter  of  the  Synod  of  Phila- 
delphia, dated  Lancaster,  September  20th,  m6,  of  which  I 
give  the  first  paragraph. 

Christian  Brethren, 
«  The  Synod  assembled  in  Lancaster,  at  the  present  time 
consists  of  a  greater  number  of  members  than  hav'e  been  cI' 
vened  at  any  meeting  for  many  years  ;  and  from  their  free  con- 
versation on  the  state  of  religion,  it  appears,  that  all  the  Pres- 
by.eries  are  more  than  commonly  alive  to  the  importance  of 
contending  earnestly  for  the  faith,  once  delivered   to  the  saints, 

and    Hopkmsian  heresies ;    which   are  some  of  the  means  by 
wh   hthe  enemy  o.  souls  would,  if  possible,  deceive  the  very 


80 


The  third  parajrraph  runs  thus:  «Mav  thp  time  never  come 
in  ivhirh  our  kcclfsias r,r al  corRis  .h.l)  dHrrmint^  thnt  Hop! 
kinsianLsm  and  the  dortrines  of  ouv  rontVssion  of  faiih  are  the 
same  th.ne  ;  or  that  men  .re  less  exposed  now,  than  in  the  davs 
of  the  apostles,  to  the  danger  of  perverting  the  right  ways  of 
the  J  ord."  "^ 

People  of  the  nnion,  hear  this,  and  feel  what  gratitude  yoQ 
owe  to  a  good  Providence,  which  shields  your  religious  rights 
from  the  persecuting  fury  of  bigotry  and  intolerance.  The 
tocsin  is  now  blown,  and  while  Truth  grasps  her  sword,  and 
Charity  veils  herA^ce,  let  Vigilance  light  her  lamp,  and  .land  at 
her  threshold. 

I  had  closed  this  series,  and  sent  it  to  the  press,  but  this  ex- 
traordinary letter  merits  immediate  consideration.  Shall  I  dip 
my  pen  in  ridicule,  and  expose  this  transaction  in  the  mock 
robe  it  merits  ?  Alas!  this  cloud  of  darkness  throws  every  ob- 
ject under  a  shade  too  mournful  to  admit  of  using  the  livelier 
colours. 

Do  we,  then,  in  the  Pastoral  Letter,  hear  the  voice  and  the 
sentiments  of  the  fathers  of  the  church,  the  central  section  of 
the  General  Assembly— that  august  body  reared  by  divine  grace, 
in  this  free  and  happy  country,  and  by  the  special  blessing  of 
God  grown  to  a  size  so  majestic,  in  a  time  so  comparatively 
short?  That  Assemt>ly.  now  spreading  its  branches  to  the  east 
and  west,  to  the  north  and  to  the  south,  with  a  prospect  of  a 
boundary  that  may  still  expand  for  ages  ? 

Where  are  t!ie  crpeat  and  benevolent  founders  of  these  Synods 
and  of  this  Assembly  ?     Has  the  angel  of  heavenly  loye,    and 
charity,  and  peace,  together  with  them,  taken  her  flight  for  ever? 
Ye  spirits  of  Davies.  and  Witherspoon,  and  Finley,   of  Rodgers 
and  M'Whorter,    undrr  whose  mild  and  harmonizing  influence 
this  tree  was  planted,  unless   removed   from  all   knowledge  of 
Us  prospects  and  danLfrs — from  all  sympathy  with  this  region 
of  sin  and  death,  can  you  behold  a  devouring   flame  kindled  in 
its  central  boughs,    and  not  feel  a  momentary  thrill  of  anxiety  ? 
I  cannot  !)ut  indulge  in  reflections  like  these,    when  J  advert 
to  tlie  character,  the  temper,  the  spirit,  the  wisdom  of  the  men, 
wlio,  under  God,    were  the  founder^  of  these  religious  institu- 
tions.     1  meidi(»n  these  men,  not  bemn^p  they  were  the  only 


81 

men  concerned  in  that  great  and  benevolent  work;  there  were 
many  others  equally  engaged,  and  perhaps  some  equally  useful. 
The  reader  w.ll  now  perceive  the  justice  of  the  remarks 
made  ,n  the  former  series,  concerning  the  opposition  made  to 
the  stram  of  doctrine  called  Hopkinsian.  In  this  number  I  shall 
callhis  attennon  to  a  few  remarks  on  this  Pastoral  Letter  of 
the  Synod  of  Philadelphia. 

L  It  is  impossible  not  to  perceive  that  Hopkinsianism  is  the 
grand  error  aimed  at  in  that  letter.     They  declare  in  the  same 
letter  that  there  never  was  but  one  Socinian  Society  within  the 
bounds  of  the  Synod,  and  it  could  not  be  thought  necessary  to 
3end  a  crcular  letter  to  all  the  congregations  in  the  Synod, 
and,  ,n  fact,  to  all  theconiinent,  on  account  of  one  Antitrinita- 
nan  Society.     An  act  so  official  and  formal,   for  a  single  con- 
gregation, and  that,  perhaps,  a  very  small  one,  would  scarcely 
appear  decorous.     As  to  Arianism,  it  is  doubful  whether  they 
have  an  mdividual  of  that  heresy  in  all  their  bounds.     They 
certamly  have  not  a  congregation  of  that  order. 

Nor  did  I  ever  know  till  now,  nor  was  there  ever  a  solitary 
instance,  as  I  have  heard,  of  any  public  body,  in  ^he  United 
States,  publishing  a  formal  denunciation  of  Arminianism  as 
heresy.  The  term  Arminian  is  variously  used  and  understood, 
and  is  applied  to  various  shades  of  difference,  from  Arminius, 
the  founder  of  the  sect.  Few,ifahy,  of  the  protestant  churches 
have  chosen  to  censure  Arminianism  as  a  damnable  heresy ; 
and  it  has  never  been  done,  before  the  present  instance,  in  this 
country. 

The  Philadelphia  Synod  seem  to  have  forgotten  that  every 
large  and  respectable  bodies  of  Christians,  in  our  own  country, 
such  as  the  Episcopalians,   Methodists,   and  several  others,  are' 
usually  denominated   Arminians.      All   these   they  have   con- 
demned,  in  the  severest  and  strongest  terms,   as  heritics;   have 
held  them  up   to   public  odium   and   abhorrence.      Whatever 
that    Synod  may  think,   I  cannot  but  esteem   them   Christian  ^ 
churches  comprising  many  members  of  great  piety,  and  having  * 
many  divines  of  distingui>hed  eminence.     It  has  pleased  God 
tomakethechu.ch  of  England,   or  the  nation  professing  that 
faith,  the  grand  barrier  of  the  Protestant  cause  in  Christendom 


.V 


\  «l 


82 

for  ages  past,  and  many  of  their  divines  are  amonpr  the  bright- 
est ornaments  of  the  church  of  Christ  j  God  forbid  that  I  should 
call  them,  or  think  them,   heretics. 

2.  Had  this  language  been  held  in  some  anonymous  publica- 
tion ;  had  it  appeared  in  the  writings  of  some  individual,  as  his 
own  private  opinion ;  had  it  appeared  in  a  public  journal ;  had 
it  been  delivered  in  a  sermon  from  the  desk,  the  individual 
roie:ht  have  been  thoue^ht  over  heated  in  his  zeal,  and  carried 
beyond  the  bounds  of  his  own  cool  reason.  But  what  is  it  ?  In 
what  form  does  it  meet  our  eye  ?  It  is  the  act  of  a  great  num- 
ber; the  act  of  professed  ministers  of  Christ  and  ambassadors 
of  God ;  it  is  the  act  of  an  ecclesiastical  court,  the  central  Sy- 
nod of  the  union  ;  it  is  in  the  nature  of  a  law,  or  rule,  and  set 
as  a  precedent  for  all  other  ecclesiastical  courts,  and  for  all  fu- 
ture time. 

3.  It  condemns,  at  one  stroke,  an  immense  body  of  Chris- 
tians in  New- England,  where,  it  is  well  known,  thi*  strain 
of  sentiment  prevails  ahnost  universally,  and  that  whole  body, 
in  its  various  sections,  are  amicably  represented  in  the  general 
assembly  ;  and  their  representatives,  from  year  to  year,  set  on 
the  same  seats  by  the  side  of  members  of  this  Synod.  More- 
over, the  assembly  is  also  represented  in  the  various  conven- 
tions, or  associations,  of  the  New-England  churches,  whenever 
they  assemble.  But  this  would  be  a  small  consideration  in 
comparison  with  another :  Many  ministers  and  ciiur(  lies,  who 
actually  belong  to  the  general  assembly,  perhaps  one  third, 
perhaps  one  half,  are  full  in  this  strain  of  doctrine,  and  are  con- 
demned as  heretics  by  this  pastoral  letter. 

4.  The  sentiments  usually  denominated  Hopkinsian  were 
never  considered  as  heresy  by  the  founders  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  in  America,  nor  by  the  wisest  and  ablest  divines  who 
differed  with  them,  in  any  subsequent  period,  in  Europe  or 
America.  Nothing  was  ever  f«irther  from  their  thoughts  than 
any  idea  of  making  thera  at  all  a  breaking  point  in  church  com- 
munion and  fellowship.  Candidates  for  the  ministry  were  ne- 
ver impeded  in  their  progress,  or  censured  for  holding  them. 
Ordination,  or  licensure,  was  never  refused  to  a  man  who  pro- 
fessed them,  nor  was  any  bar  laid  in  the  way  of  his  acceding  to 
any  vacant  church  which  had  given  him  a  call.     Names,  suf- 


V 


<'i 


Jl 


83 

ficient  to  fill  his  papers,  are  now  in  mv  recollection  of  ministers 
and  licentiates  coming  from  New  England,  and  fettling  within 
the  bounds  of  the  general  assembly,  who  are  full  in  these  sen- 
timents; and  of  ministers  and  licentiates  going  from  the  bounds 
of  the  general  assembly,  to  settle  in  the  congregational  churches 
of  New-England.  No  test,  abjuration,  or  oath  of  purgation,  has 
ever  been  imposed  or  taken  in  either  case;  nor  dark  suspicions 
or  jealousies;  no  whisperings  or  calumnies  resorted  to  in  the 
general  operation  of  these  removals  in  this  wide  extent  of 
country.  The  trustees  of  Princeton  college  did  not  start  and 
shudder  with  horror  at  Jonathan  Edwards  when  they  called 
him  to  the  high  and  honourable  station  of  president,  although 
the  heresies  of  his  sentiments  had  been  long  promulgated  and 
known.  But  I  shall  not  descend  to  names,  otherwise  I  might 
introduce  a  list  of  great  length  and  equal  respectability,  which 
might  have  cooled  this  fervid  ebullition  of  ecclesiastical  censure 

and  proscription. 

5.  The  measures  taken  by  the  Synod  of  Philadelphia  are 
pregnant  with  mischief,  misery,  and  ruin ;  and.  all  circumstan- 
ces considered,  I  question  whether  the  annals  of  the  Christian 
church  affords  a  greater  instance  of  rashness,  imprudence,  im- 
policy, or  injustice.  Do  they,  indeed,  imagine  that  this  watch- 
word will  be  taken  from  them,  and  that  all  the  Synods  in  this 
connection  will  ring  with  this  dreadful  denunciation,  "  Here- 
sy, and  the  means  by  which,  if  it  were  possible,  the  enemy  of 
souls  would  deceive  the  very  elect?''  What  are  we  to  expect 
next,  provided  this  Synod  act  in  character  with  their  sentence 
and  injunction?  What  is  the  rule  of  the  everlasting  gospel? 
"  A  heretic,  after  the  first  and  second  admonition,  reject.'* 
What  is  to  be  the  regular  operation  of  this  business,  provided  all 
who  differ  from  Hopkinsianism  shall  condemn  it  as  heresy  ? 
Individual  members  are  to  be  hurled  out  of  churches ;  churches 
are  to  be  rent  with  disputes  and  divisions,  and  some  of  them 
severed  from  Presbyteries ;  Presbyteries  are  to  be  turned  out 
of  Synods,  and  Synods  divided  ;  and  by  this  time,  what  be- 
comes of  the  Assembly  itself?  Its  full  orb  will  wane,  and  pre- 
sent a  fading  and  sickly  crescent ;  "  will  become  a  proverb 
and  by-word,  a  reproach  and  astonishment"  to  all  mankind. 


/ 


84 


And  what  impression  will  this  measure  make  on  the  public 
mind  ?  How  will  it  appear  to  this  young  and  rising  nation, 
whose  struggles  for  her  own  independence  and  freedom  are  not 
yet  forgotten  ?  How  will  it  strike  at  the  feelings  of  the  grt* at 
and  highly  respectable  fraternity  of  the  Episcopal  Institution, 
who  are  carelessly  anathematized  as  heretics,  merely  for  a 
handsome  pretext  to  lengthen  out  the  rod  over  their  shoulders 
to  reach  others  ?  For  it  is  not  to  be  doubted  that  that  form  of 
speech,  "  Arians,  Socinians,  Arminians,"  &c,,  was  resorted  to 
merely  to  make  the  bundle  of  heretics  as  huge'as  possible,  that, 
by  a  kind  of  indiscrimination,  the  censure,  the  single  censure  on 
the  heads  of  the  Hopkinsians  might  not  seem  solitary  and  par- 
tial ;  in  short,  that  it  might  appear  one  sweeping  stroke  at  all 
heresy. 

But  I  asked,  in  a  former  paragraph,  whether  we  were  to  un- 
derstand this  as  the  voice  and  sentiment  of  the  fathers  and 
counsellors  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  I  rejoice  to  say,  for 
the  honour  of  my  country,  and  for  the  religion  I  profess,  that 
nothing  is  farther  from  it.  I  recognise,  in  this  act,  the  features 
of  some  fierce  and  furious  spirits,  who,  in  an  inauspicious  hour 
of  darkness  and  incaution,  gained  so  much  the  ascendant  in  that 
body  as  to  procure  this  abortion  of  a  Bully  who  has  faintly 
roared  once,  and  never  will  be  heard  again.  I  have  no  doubt 
that  its  authors,  ere  this,  do,  even  in  their  closets,  shudder  be- 
fore the  bar  of  public  sentiment;  that  they,  severally  and  indi- 
vidually, wish  that,  at  that  moment,  they  had  been  a  day's  jour- 
ney from  ^that  Synod,  and  employed  in  a  manner,  if  it  would 
not  promote,  that  would  not  endanger  the  prosperity  and  exist- 
ence of  the  church. 

INVESTIGATOR. 


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